Brussels is sharpening his weapons against the American administration of Donald Trump and his tariff policy. While the negotiations with Washington continues to avoid that from 1 August the duties of 30 percent starts on the export of European products, the European Commission has made it known that it will combine the two distinct counter-dotal packages, developed so far, in a single list of 93 billion euros.
The merged package will be subjected to the vote of the member countries, which will have to give their opinion on a measure that could enter into force on August 7, except for an agreement reached with Washington. “This move will make the countermeasures on clearest, simplest and stronger American exports,” explained a spokesman for the EU commission. But the measure could even be harder. If the negotiations were to fail with the United States, the EU would intend to impose 30 percent rates on 100 billion stars and stripes.
Soy, jeans and planes: what’s on the list of duties for a total of 93 billion euros
What packages are we talking about? There is a first list of measures that is worth 21 billion and a second from 72
As the EU reacts to the duties at 30%: the negotiation with Trump and the ACI weapon
The list of products that are worth 72 billion euros instead includes planes, cars and electrical equipment. The green album of the twenty -seven has yet to arrive on this: the vote – scheduled for tomorrow 23 July – will probably lead to the approval of the package.
Trump’s threat: 50% rates on copper
The White House has already imposed 50 percent rates on European steel and aluminum, 25 percent on cars produced in the old continent and 10 percent on a wide range of other European goods. Overall, the new measures affect European exports for a value of approximately 370 billion euros, equal to 70 percent of total EU exports to the United States.
But tensions do not seem destined to stop here. Trump has threatened to introduce, starting from 1 August, a new 50 percent rate on copper and has repeatedly hinted at the intention to extend the duties to other strategic sectors, including the pharmaceutical and semi -recondors.
Trump’s return to the Presidency of the United States is putting to the test the economic relations between Washington and Brussels. With the declared objective to rebalance the commercial balance, the Trump administration has reintroduced a series of punitive duties on key products from the European Union, making the commercial war tones that had marked its first term.
According to the data released by the European Commission, in 2024 the EU recorded a commercial surplus of goods to the United States of 198 billion euros, however in the face of a deficit in the services of about 148 billion. A deficit that Trump continues to consider unbalanced and that seems to be at the center of his renewed protectionist offensive.
