U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to respond to the European Union (EU) after Canada and the EU announced retaliatory tariffs on the 12th (local time), following the start of tariffs on steel and aluminum imposed against the world.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Mihal Martin of Ireland at the White House, Trump responded to reporters’ questions about whether he would respond to the EU's tariffs, saying, “Of course I will respond. We will win the financial battle for that money.”
The EU announced that it would impose tariffs on U.S. products worth a total of 26 billion euros (approximately 41 trillion won) in two phases. Initially, the EU plans to impose a 50% tariff on imports of U.S. whiskey, motorcycles, and motorboats starting April 1, a day before the U.S. is set to impose reciprocal tariffs on April 2. Additionally, from mid-April onward, tariffs will be imposed on a variety of products, including U.S. gum, poultry, beef, white chocolate, soybeans, and watermelons.
The EU is also expected to impose tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum products. A senior EU official told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), “What we intend to do is to create understanding and pressure to eliminate the tariffs on steel and aluminum within the U.S. system.”
WSJ reported, “The EU believes that the tariffs imposed on the U.S. will have the largest impact on states that voted for the Republican Party in the last election,” adding that it would affect Kentucky and Tennessee, which export the most whiskey, as well as Wisconsin, where Harley-Davidson factories are located.