EU vows to react to steel duties from Washington

BRUSSELS — The European Commission said on Monday it would react to protect the interests of the European Union after US President Donald Trump's announcement of impending metals tariffs, but said it would not respond until it had clarification of the measures.

Trump said on Sunday he would introduce new 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, marking another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul.

The European Commission said it had not received any official notification regarding additional tariffs on EU goods and would not respond to "broad announcements" without details or written clarification.

"The EU sees no justification for the imposition of tariffs on its exports. We will react to protect the interests of European businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified measures," the commission said.

Trump's move, if confirmed, would mirror his action in his first term, when he imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel from many countries and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum. For the EU, that covered 6.4 billion euros ($6.6 billion) worth of exports.

The EU responded in 2018 with an initial set of tariffs on 2.8 billion euros worth of US goods, including bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

EU diplomats said it would make most sense to reapply the countermeasures if Trump went ahead with the import tariffs.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday that the EU would respond to Trump's latest tariff announcement.

Barrot told TF1 television that France and its European partners should not hesitate to defend their interests in the face of tariff threats.

Responding again

Asked if France and the EU will respond, Barrot said: "Of course ...This is already what Donald Trump did in 2018, and we responded. We will again respond."

The European Commission will decide on the sectors that will be affected by a response, he added.

Germany also warned on Monday that higher duties would "harm all sides".

"In the end, higher tariffs would harm all sides," Economy Ministry spokesman Korbinian Wagner said at a regular news briefing in Berlin, urging talks to stop the duties from being imposed.

In Australia, Trade Minister Don Farrell said on Monday that Australian steel and aluminum exports to the US create "good-paying American jobs" and are key to shared defense interests, as Canberra presses Washington for an exemption to Trump's planned tariffs.

Farrell has yet to meet with his US counterpart, who has not been confirmed in the role, but Australian officials have been making representations on aluminum and steel exports for several months, seeking to secure a similar exemption from tariffs that they won during the previous Trump presidency in 2018.

In South Korea, the Industry Ministry said on Monday it held an emergency meeting with steelmakers in Seoul to discuss measures to minimize the effect of potential US tariffs.

Agencies via Xinhua