The European Commission has announced a series of countermeasures to respond to Donald Trump 's " unjustified trade restrictions " and the 25% US duties on steel and aluminum. The EU will apply " strong but proportionate " customs duties on a number of American products starting April 1. The European Union "deeply regrets" the measures decided by President Donald Trump, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

Donald Trump's 25% tariff on steel and aluminum has come into force, marking a new phase in the trade war between the United States and its main trading partners. The American president had already taxed steel and aluminum imports during his first term (2017-2021), but this new tax is intended to be "without exceptions and without exemptions," Trump assured during the announcement in early February.

The European response, explained von der Leyen, will take place in two phases. On April 1, the EU countermeasures - established in 2018 and 2020 in response to US customs duties of the first Trump administration - will be automatically reinstated, as their suspension will expire on March 31. The new duties will be fully in force from April 13. "Customs duties are taxes. They are bad for business and even worse for consumers," added von der Leyen, who underlined how at stake are not only jobs but also the prices of goods that "will increase, in Europe and in the United States". This is why, added von der Leyen, "the countermeasures we are adopting today are strong but proportionate".

(Unioneonline/vf)

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