Donald Trump’s order to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that are imported to the United States, which directly affects the European Union, is already official. And will enter into force on March 12. In the midst of uncertainty about European countermeasures and the degree of the commercial war they can reach, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has warned Washington that the “unjustified” taxes will give rise to reprisals “firm and provided ”. “The EU will safeguard its economic interests,” he warned of conservative policy in a brief statement, in which he says that he “deeply” the Trump initiative.
The tax at the two metals is the first blow of the new US administration to the interests of the community club: European countries together represent 15% of all the steel that imports the US and the encumbrances especially affect Germany, the first economy of the economy of The EU.
The message of Von der Leyen – the political and in line with the position of the last days of waiting, seeing and then reacting – arrives shortly before his meeting, this Tuesday, with the US vice president, JD Vance, in Paris, where Both participate in the Summit on Artificial Intelligence. It is the first contact of the head of the Community Executive, who had great harmony with the administration of Democrat Joe Biden, with the Trump team. In that appointment, the German will try to convince Vance, and by extension to Trump, that the commercial balance between the US and the EU is not as negative as Washington says. He will also try to explain that, although the North American country imports many more EU assets than in reverse, the European block matters and consumes many more US services than on the contrary. In fact, the commercial balance figures that both parties handle is strikingly different.
As an appetizer, the American vice president has already launched on Tuesday, at the AI summit, an EU notice over its technological regulation. The European regulations have several American technological giants under investigation, including X (formerly Twitter) and its owner, Elon Musk, the techno-solid member of the Trump team, to determine if their algorithm favors their comments and other speeches. Washington believes that European legislation is too strict and does not leave innovation. In Brussels, some sources fear that Trump puts the variable of shielding his technology before European research at the negotiating table with the EU to avoid a commercial war.
“Illegal” tariffs, according to Brussels
But Brussels is still analyzing the effect of the imposition of tariffs of one of its main allies, and seeks to explore with Washington Formulas to avoid commercial escalation. The community executive insists that the tax tariffs are illegal, according to the rules of the World Trade Organization and has summoned a meeting of ministers in charge of Commerce for Wednesday.
The EU could react rapidly, for example, restoring tariffs to some US products, such as Bourbon or Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which already did in response to steel and aluminum levies imposed by Trump during its first mandate, in 2018 . The termination of this agreement would mean the implementation by Brussels of tariffs up to 50% in some cases on imports of about 4.8 billion euros. The agreement expires at the end of March.
The president of the European Council, António Costa, has rushed to support Von der Leyen. “The EU remains united to defend the interests of its companies, workers and citizens,” he said on social networks. Other leaders, such as the Spanish Pedro Sánchez, have followed the same path.
Brussels assures that it will give an “proportionate” response, which can make it happen that it will respond only with commercial reprisals and will not deploy (at least at least one moment) all its artillery. The EU could resort to other formulas, such as the anti-coercion regulations, which includes measures to close the European market to certain goods or services. It could even prevent companies from another country from competing in public tenders or participating in projects financed with the community budget. This regulation is an economic security weapon that entered into force in 2023 and that was thought rather for China or Russia, but which could also be applied to the United States. Some voices demand that the anti-coercion mechanism be used against the powerful American technological sector, which has also mostly supported Trump.
The European Commission believes that it still has a margin to negotiate and avoid the commercial war or, at least, that it stays in a skirmish. “We are still committed to constructive dialogue,” said the commissioner in charge of Commerce, Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday. “We are prepared for negotiations and to find mutually beneficial solutions as much as possible. There is much at stake for both parties, ”said the European head, who has insisted that the imposition of tariffs has no justification and is also” economically counterproductive. “
