Trump plans tariffs: EU is preparing for sharp countermeasures!

Trump plans tariffs: EU is preparing for sharp countermeasures!

Linz, Österreich - President Donald Trump once again sparked the trade fire by deciding to raise tariffs from 25 percent on steel and aluminum imports from abroad, including the European Union. This was announced on February 11, 2025, which immediately triggered waves in the EU. In response to this, the EU Commission President Ursula from the Leyen announced that the illegal tariffs will not remain unanswered. She pointed out that the EU will take determined and proportional countermeasures to protect its economic interests, as well as bostonglobe.com reported.

EU reacts sharply to US tariffs

The European Parliament plans to react to a variety of US products on April 1 with possible counter-tariffs if no agreement is reached by March 12. Among other things, these would affect jeans, bourbon whiskey and motorcycles, which the EU had already introduced as part of Trump's first term in Sonderzölle, as was explained by the Chairman of the Commerce Committee Bernd Lange. Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized that the EU would react closed if the United States does not offer any other way. Both sides are under pressure: the mutual tariffs not only endanger the trade relationships, but also the economic prosperity of both countries.

Austrian companies, such as Voestalpine and AMAG, are also affected by the US tariffs. Minister of Economic Affairs Martin Kocher confirmed the support for the EU countermeasures that contradict the principle of free trade. The risks of a trade war are obvious because customs measures always burden both companies and consumers. As made clear by Leyen, tariffs are nothing more than taxes that are neither an advantage for companies nor for consumers.