Faced with the increases in American customs duties, Europeans advance with great caution. And an obsession: to preserve their fragile unity, as the economic and security interests at stake are important. In this context, they have not implemented any retaliatory measure, when the United States is already imposing 25 % surcharge on steel, aluminum and imported cars and 10 % on a wide range of products.
If it favors negotiation, the Commission, competent in terms of trade, does not remain inactive. In order to establish a balance of power with Washington while preparing for a failure of discussions with the administration of Donald Trump, she is preparing her response. Thursday, May 8, she made public a second list of American goods, whose importation on the old continent would be subject to surcharges if Brussels did not reach an agreement with Washington.
There are agrifood, chemical and plastic products, aeronautics, cars, electronic equipment or even machinery machines, whose sale in the European Union amounted to 95 billion euros in 2024. The member states must now make their comments, before a decision can be taken by the twenty -seven, at the end of June – in early July.
You have 80.55% of this article to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.