Consumers and tourists stroll past the Nike store in the prestigious Via del Corso shopping district on March 12, 2025, in Rome, Italy. The European Union announced today that effective April 1, it will impose tariffs on notable American items such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, and jeans, as a countermeasure to President Trump’s global tariffs on steel and aluminum. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
OAN Staff James Meyers 9:58 AM – Wednesday, March 12, 2025
The European Union has introduced its own tariffs in retaliation to President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products that took effect on Wednesday.
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Initially, the European Union, comprised of 27 member states, will allow the previous “countermeasures” from 2018 and 2020 against the U.S. to lapse on April 1st. Furthermore, the commission is proposing a new series of “countermeasures” targeting U.S. goods that will come into effect in April, affecting nearly $28 billion in imports.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, described the U.S. tariffs on global metal imports as “unjustified trade restrictions.”
“We deeply regret this measure,” von der Leyen declared in a statement, announcing that “strong, yet proportionate” countermeasures would take effect on April 1st.
BREAKING: The EU just announced retaliatory tariffs on $28 billion in American products, matching President Trump’s 25% tariff on steel and aluminum.
“Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers. They are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty… pic.twitter.com/BckRVWdnVZ
“Tariffs are taxes. They are detrimental to business and even more harmful to consumers,” von der Leyen emphasized in a statement. “These tariffs disrupt supply chains and create uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at risk, and prices will inevitably rise, both in Europe and the United States.”
“The European Union must take measures to safeguard consumers and businesses,” she asserted. “The countermeasures we are implementing today are robust yet proportional.”
The EU has released a detailed 99-page list of potential items that might be affected by the tariffs, which includes fruits, vegetables, and meats.
“In a world filled with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our collective interest to burden our economies with tariffs. We are ready to engage in constructive dialogue,” von der Leyen remarked, further stating she has appointed Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to continue discussions to “seek better solutions with the U.S.”
Meanwhile, the president has frequently argued that increased tariffs will create more jobs in America, claiming that trade agreements with the EU have been “unfair.”
“They’ve really taken advantage of us,” the president remarked regarding Europe during a Cabinet meeting in February. “They don’t accept our cars, they don’t accept our agricultural products. They use various excuses not to. And we accept everything from them.”
Additionally, the 47th president has proposed separate tariffs on its two neighboring countries, alongside an additional 10% tariff on China.
This announcement follows Trump’s declaration on Tuesday of increased steel and aluminum tariffs against Canada after that country imposed an electricity surcharge on three states, escalating the tariff war.
The 27 member countries will receive further updates from the EU later on Wednesday.
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