EU to Impose Counter-Measures After Trump Tariff on Steel Comes into Effect

The European Union says it will impose counter-measures on US$28 billion worth of US goods in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminium.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls the measures, which will apply on US goods from boats to bourbon, “strong but proportionate”.

Trump’s tariffs, which came into effect overnight, mean that US businesses wanting to bring steel and aluminium into the country will have to pay a 25 per cent tax on them.

UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds calls the tariffs disappointing and says the UK is pushing for a trade deal with the US.

Meanwhile, China says it will take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests.

And Canada’s high commissioner to the UK has criticised what he describes as the lawless trade world of Donald Trump.