EU strikes back: hard tariffs on US products from April!

EU strikes back: hard tariffs on US products from April!

Kanada, Land - The tensions in international trade are dramatically increasing! On March 12, 2025, US President Donald Trump put tariffs on import of steel and aluminum of 25 percent, which heats the minds worldwide. The United States justifies this step with the alleged threat to national security and accuse China of flooding the market with cheap metal. Not only canada, but also the European Union, Mexico and Brazil. The capitals are concerned because the EU reacts immediately with its own retaliation.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that from April additional tariffs are introduced to US products such as whiskey, motorcycles and boats. These countermeasures are intended to protect the EU exports to the United States, of which protocols are acute at risk - a game of patience that unsettles the markets, as well as Focus reports . The trade relationships are in a critical phase, since the EU is already faced with 26 billion euros in exports that are affected by the new tariffs. The consequences could result in juicy price increases for consumer goods in Europe, and Trump also announced that they cancel or increase "mutual" tariffs by April 2.

international reactions and uncertainties

The British government was disappointed with the tariffs, but does not plan immediate countermeasures, while in Canada or Australia the economic consequences seem to be clearly manageable. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has just succeeded Justin Trudeau, states that Canada will not become part of the United States. With regard to the committed trade conflicts, there is also ambiguity about the implementation of existing agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement USMCA. The pressure on the markets could lead to an economic downturn - a problem that keeps both investors and consumers in suspense.

The confusion is great and the uncertainty on the financial markets increases. The announced changes in the customs regulations and the impending new tariffs worry the global trade conditions and could put a lasting strain on the relationship to important trading partners. As reports ORF , you can see no pending decline in the tariffs in the USA, while the pressure to take additional retaliation is constant. International trade faces a turning point - all eyes are now directed towards the next steps.