The European Union has paused its countermeasures on unjustified US trade tariffs to allow time and space for EU-US negotiations. The pause was first announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and takes legal effect.
The decision – which puts on hold for up to 90 days the EU’s planned countermeasures against US tariffs on EU steel and aluminum imports – was made in response to the US delaying by 90 days its so-called reciprocal tariffs.
In total, the suspended EU countermeasures cover €21 billion of US exports. As part of the EU’s push to find a negotiated outcome with the US, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is today in Washington DC to hold meetings with his US counterparts in order to explore the ground for a negotiated solution.
As President von der Leyen made clear in her statement, the EU wants “to give negotiations a chance,” but should talks not prove satisfactory, the EU countermeasures will kick in.
In addition to these now-suspended countermeasures against US tariffs on steel and aluminum, preparatory work on further EU countermeasures continues. The EU considers US tariffs unjustified and damaging, risking economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy.
