The European Union (EU) will impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports. This will take effect on the 15th (local time), and the EU plans to suspend the tariff if a negotiation agreement with the U.S. is reached.
The European Commission, which corresponds to the EU's executive branch, noted on the 9th that member states voted in favor of retaliatory measures regarding steel tariffs, stating, "Tariffs will begin to be collected from the 15th." It continued, "If the U.S. agrees to a fair and balanced negotiation outcome, these countermeasures can be suspended at any time."
Previously, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on EU steel and aluminum on the 12th of last month. This is the EU's first retaliatory measure in response to the tariff imposition by the Trump administration.
The European Commission has not yet disclosed specific details regarding the tariff imposition. According to European media reports, it is targeting mainly export goods from U.S. states that are known as 'red states' with strong Republican support, including soybeans, jeans, and motorcycles.
Countries like France and Italy, which export a large amount of alcoholic beverages to the U.S., have reported that U.S. bourbon whiskey is excluded from the tariff imposition. U.S. President Donald Trump previously warned of a '200% retaliatory tariff' on all EU alcoholic beverages if the possibility of tariffs on U.S. whiskey arose.
The EU is expected to gradually implement retaliatory measures in three phases, starting from the 15th of this month, followed by the 16th of next month and December.