The European Union has spent months bracing for painful tariffs from the United States, the bloc’s most important trading partner. On Wednesday, as American steel and aluminum tariffs of 25 percent took effect, European officials began to respond.
While the United States buys the most steel and aluminum from countries including Canada, Brazil and Mexico, Germany is a notable steel producer.
And because the tariffs will also affect products that contain steel and aluminum, such as cookware and window frames, the European Union said, they may hit some 26 billion euros — $28 billion — of the bloc’s exports in total.
Wednesday’s rebuttal is the European Union’s attempt to hit back in equal measure.
The response will come in two parts. The European Union had increased tariffs on a range of goods in retaliation to U.S. measures during President Trump’s first term, but they were suspended under the Biden administration.
That suspension will be allowed to lapse on April 1, meaning that higher tariffs would take effect on billions worth of products that include boats, bourbon and motorcycles.
The bloc’s second step, it said, would be to place tariffs on €18 billion worth of additional products. Representatives from countries across Europe will consult for two weeks before officials finalize the list of products that would be affected.