EU Retaliates, Approves Tariffs in Trump Trade Clash

The European Union has approved its first round of retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade duties.

The decision, adopted by EU member states on Wednesday afternoon, will impose 25% tariffs on a wide range of American exports in phased stages beginning next week, as reported by The New York Times and Euronews.

The tariffs target U.S. products such as soybeans, almonds, orange juice, poultry, steel, aluminum, tobacco, yachts, and other industrial and agricultural goods. According to POLITICO, the measures are calibrated to strike sectors central to Republican-leaning states, with the EU aiming to exert political as well as economic pressure.

The list is a revised version of the one announced in mid-March, with European officials trimming some items after consultations with industries and policymakers across the 27-nation bloc. Notably, bourbon whiskey was removed after Trump threatened a 200% retaliatory tariff on all European alcohol, a move that could have devastated wine exporters in France, Italy, and Spain, as The New York Times reported.

The phased timeline begins with tariffs on items such as cranberries and orange juice on April 15, followed by a second wave on May 16 including steel, meat, white chocolate, and polyethylene. A final set, including soybeans and almonds—the most valuable and politically charged products—will be hit on December 1.

In total, the EU tariffs could impact up to €22.1 billion in U.S. exports, while U.S. duties that came into force on March 12 are affecting approximately €26 billion worth of EU goods annually.

President Trump’s latest round of tariffs includes 25% duties on EU steel, aluminum, and cars, along with a blanket 20% tariff on all other European imports, which began Wednesday. While the EU has repeatedly expressed its preference for a negotiated solution—offering to reduce tariffs on cars and industrial goods to zero if the U.S. reciprocates—progress has been slow.

“Europe is always ready for a good deal,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said social media platform X on April 7. “But we are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests.”

As The New York Times reported, Wednesday’s vote is just the first step in the EU’s retaliatory strategy. A second package targeting U.S. car levies and the 20% blanket tariff is expected as early as next week, after another round of consultations with member states.

Some EU officials have hinted at more aggressive future measures, including the possible use of the so-called “bazooka” option—targeting U.S. service companies like Google. However, those proposals remain controversial and would be complex to implement without causing harm to European consumers and businesses who rely on American tech.

Hungary abstained from the vote Wednesday, but no formal opposition blocked the measures.