The European Union is preparing trade retaliation against the United States, planning to impose 30% tariffs on American products worth around €100 billion ($117 billion), in the event that negotiations fail and U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose tariffs on European goods starting August 1.
According to the European Commission, the EU will initially activate a unified response package combining two lists: an already approved list of tariffs on U.S. goods worth €21 billion and a proposed list covering additional products worth €72 billion.
U.S. exports expected to be affected include industrial products such as Boeing aircraft, American automobiles, and the popular bourbon whiskey. These items would face a 30% tariff—mirroring Trump’s threatened rate—according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
These tariffs will be ready to go into effect in August, should no agreement be reached and Washington proceeds with its own tariff measures, the sources emphasized, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The new measures are being prepared at a time when several EU member states, led by Germany, are adopting a tougher stance in response to trade pressure from the U.S. administration.
A government official in Berlin, also speaking anonymously, stated that Germany does not rule out supporting the activation of the ACI mechanism if no trade agreement is reached with the United States.
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