Source: European Parliament
On 12 March 2025 the United States (US) imposed a 25% tariff on all US imports of steel and aluminium and derivative products[1][2][3]. This affects EUR 26 billion in EU exports. The EU adopted countermeasures for entry into force on 15 April 2025[4][5].
Since 2 April 2025 the US also imposes a 25% tariff on cars, to be extended to car parts as of 3 May[6][7]. Also on 2 April, the US announced broad horizontal tariffs of 20% on imports from the EU as of 9 April. These additional tariffs also include all EU exports to the US of agri-food products[8].
Subsequently, for various reasons, including contacts with trade partners, the US suspended its horizontal tariffs on many trade partners including the 20% tariff on the EU for a period of 90 days, while still maintaining a 10% base-tariff.
The EU has adopted countermeasures against the US tariffs on steel and aluminium but has also suspended those for 90 days. This was done to allow time and space for negotiations towards a mutually satisfactory solution and should these negotiations not be successful, the adopted countermeasures can enter into force again. In addition, the EU continues preparatory work for possible further proportionate countermeasures in response to the other US import tariffs.
The EU has at its disposal several instruments that allow addressing unjustified measures, including tariffs and other countermeasures, as well as internal measures to address impacts on EU agricultural producers from situations of market disturbance.
More broadly, and also in view of recent developments in EU-US trade, the Commission will continue to work on diversifying trade with other partners and will intensify efforts to remove internal barriers in the EU and to develop the EU Single Market.
- [1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/adjusting-imports-of-steel-into-the-united-states/.
- [2] https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-section-232-tariffs/.
- [3] https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-02-18/pdf/2025-02832.pdf and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-02-18/pdf/2025-02833.pdf.
- [4] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_25_740/IP_25_740_EN.pdf.
- [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2023/2882/oj/eng.
- [6] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/adjusting-imports-of-automobiles-and-autombile-parts-into-the-united-states/ .
- [7] https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-adjusts-imports-of-automobiles-and-automobile-parts-into-the-united-states/ .
- [8] https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/02/reciprocal-trade-and-tariffs/ .