Filenews 20 February 2025
The European Union sees "no justification" for new U.S. tariffs and is ready to react "firmly" and "quickly" if they are imposed, European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said on Wednesday at a public event in Washington.
EU response to possible tariff increase
"Some argue that EU tariffs are higher than those of the US, but the evidence contradicts this. The European Union is one of the most open economies in the world, with over 70% of products imported duty-free," Šefčovič stressed.
Although the European Commission leaves open the possibility of talks to reduce or even eliminate tariffs on industrial products, it warns of countermeasures if Washington proceeds with unilateral increases.
During his visit to the US capital, the Commissioner is expected to meet with Secretary of Commerce Howard Latnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Trump's trade threats
Since returning to the White House on January 20, Donald Trump has reinstated the doctrine of retaliatory tariffs, according to which the United States imposes tariffs on each country's products in proportion to those imposed by that country on American goods.
Trump has already announced the reimposition of tariffs on steel and aluminium, as he did during his first term. His successor, Joe Biden, had previously negotiated a transition deal with the EU, suspending countermeasures.
While Trump has already escalated trade pressures on Canada, Mexico and China, he warns that European countries will also be targeted, blaming the EU for market barriers, high taxes (VAT) and strict regulation.
The actual data on tariffs
Šefčovič responded to the accusations by presenting evidence that the EU-US trade relationship is balanced:
- EU imposes 0.9% tariffs on US goods
- US imposes 1.5% tariffs on European products
However, he acknowledged that there are discrepancies in certain categories. For instance:
- Tariffs on American cars in Europe are high, as are on European trucks in the US.
- US agricultural products are tariffed 3.5% in the EU, while European agricultural products are 5.7% in the US.
No excuse for new tariffs
"If we look at trade relations as a whole, there is no justification for the imposition of new unilateral tariffs by the US," the Trade Commissioner concluded, sending a clear message to Washington.
Source: ANA – MPA
