EU adopts first response to Trump's tariffs

The EU adopted its first measures on Wednesday to retaliate against Donald Trump's tariffs, imposing taxes in return on a range of U.S. products such as motorcycles, soybeans, or poultry, the European Commission announced.

These measures are a response to the 25% tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum by Washington in mid-March. The European response to the 20% tariffs, decreed by the U.S. president on April 2, could be presented at the beginning of next week. The European Union, however, emphasized that it is ready to suspend its tariffs 'at any time' in the event of a 'fair and balanced' agreement with Washington.

In recent months, the 27 EU member states have been hit three times by Washington's tariffs and have organized their response around a similar logic. During a vote on Wednesday afternoon, they gave the green light to the taxation of a first list of more than 20 billion euros worth of U.S. goods. It includes agricultural products such as soybeans, poultry, rice, and several fruits. It also provides for duties up to 25% on wood, motorcycles, plastic products, electrical equipment, or makeup products. The idea was notably to target products coming from Republican states, Donald Trump's party.

Brussels, however, chose to spare bourbon from its list of targeted products. Several wine-producing countries, including Italy and France, feared this would lead to retaliations against European wines and spirits. Most of these taxes will come into effect mid-May. Others, like those on almonds, will do so in December.

Before the vote, Hungary, which is close to Trump, had announced that it would oppose these measures, asserting that they would only worsen the situation for European consumers.

Brussels still hopes for a negotiated solution regarding the U.S. tariffs, which it considers unjustified. It plans to present its response to the U.S. tariffs on automobiles and all other European products at the beginning of next week. For now, the tone differs among the Twenty-Seven on the firmness level of the response.