From juice to jewellery: which U.S. goods will EU hit with tariffs?
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The European Union is set to introduce retaliatory tariffs starting next Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s duties on steel and aluminium, targeting $23 billion (21 billion euros) worth of American products.
Trump’s policy has slapped 25% import duties on European steel, aluminium, and cars, and an additional 20% tariff on nearly all other goods from the EU. He argues these measures are necessary to counter what he sees as unfair trade barriers to U.S. exports.
The EU’s countermeasures, agreed upon by its 27 member states this week, directly respond to the metal tariffs the U.S. put in place on March 12. However, the bloc is still evaluating how to react to the broader tariffs, including those affecting automobiles.
The European Commission has outlined a three-stage plan, with the bulk of the retaliatory duties set to be enforced in May.
APRIL 15: The first wave will hit $4.2 billion (3.9 billion euros) worth of U.S. exports. This includes steel, aluminium, rice, corn, motorcycles, motor boats, dishwashers, washing machines, and orange juice. These products largely mirror those targeted in 2018, when Trump first imposed narrower steel and aluminium tariffs on Europe. That earlier dispute ended in a truce during President Joe Biden’s term.
Unlike in 2018, U.S. whiskey has been left off the list this time to avoid potential backlash against EU wine exports. Most of the listed goods will face a 25% tariff, though a few, like diamonds, will see a lower rate of 10%.
MAY 16: Since the new U.S. measures cast a wider net over steel and aluminium, the EU has prepared a significantly larger list of products for additional duties. Initially targeting 21 billion euros' worth of goods, the list was later trimmed to 17 billion by excluding wine, spirits, and dairy.
On May 16, the EU will impose 25% tariffs on 13.5 billion euros of U.S. exports, including beef, poultry, fruits, cereals (like oats, barley, and wheat), vegetable oils, clothing, carpets, glassware, plastics, tools, and household items like lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, toilet paper, dental floss, and chewing gum.
DECEMBER 1: In the final phase, tariffs will be introduced on an additional 3.5 billion euros of American products, including soybeans and almonds.