Trade war: EU responds to US taxes on steel and aluminium

On March 12th 2025, the European Union announced that it would be applying customs duties on a series of American products from April 1st 2025, in response to the 25% taxes imposed by the United States on steel and aluminium.

The countermeasures, which will target products such as bourbon, motorbikes and boats, are designed to protect European industries and provide a ‘strong but proportionate’ response to the US measures.

The European Commission estimates that the US taxes will affect $28 billion worth of European goods. In return, the EU will target an equivalent amount of American products. These escalating tariffs come at a time when President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his desire to protect the US steel industry, which is in decline in the face of competition from Asia.

Canada, China, Japan and Australia are also affected by these measures, creating a climate of global trade tension.

source: Le monde