By Philip Blenkinsop
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is bracing for its first round of U.S. tariffs on Wednesday, 25% tariffs on aluminium and metal imports, affecting extra EU imports in worth than duties U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on EU steel imports in 2018.
The next outlines the challenges the EU faces:
BIGGER HIT THAN 2018
In 2018, Trump’s tariffs on metal and aluminium imports affected 6.4 billion euros ($6.9 billion) of EU steel shipments.
The US now plans to reapply the 2018 tariffs, whereas elevating the aluminium responsibility to 25% from 10%.
The tariffs will even apply to ‘by-product merchandise’ akin to metal equipment components and aluminium-rich gadgets from dishwashers to automotive bumpers, tennis rackets, bows and arrows.
Swiss-based monitoring service World Commerce Alert has assessed the worth of EU exports of such by-product merchandise at $20.3 billion. That will be in addition to about 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) of the metals themselves.
RETALIATION
In 2018, the EU hit again with its personal duties on 2.8 billion euros of U.S. imports. Tariffs on an extra 3.6 billion euros of imports have been resulting from take impact three years later, however have been suspended as President Joe Biden and the bloc agreed a truce.
These countermeasures, focusing on U.S. metal and aluminium, bourbon, bikes and orange juice, will robotically reapply on April 1.
The European Fee, which coordinates commerce coverage for the 27-nation EU, must resolve whether or not to deliver these countermeasures ahead and discover different U.S. merchandise to focus on.
No matter tariff measures the Fee proposes will apply until a “certified majority” of EU members oppose them.
NEGOTIATIONS?
European Commerce Commissioner Maros Sefcovic mentioned the U.S. didn’t appear to be participating in talks to avert tariffs and the EU would reply to guard its companies, employees and shoppers.
EU Director Normal for Commerce, Sabine Weyand, mentioned early in March it remained unclear what measures could be imposed, and that there have been questions over the product scope and the way by-product merchandise could be handled.
The Fee mentioned it was prepared to take a seat down with U.S. counterparts to debate their complaints.
($1 = 0.9227 euros)
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Tiffany Vermeylen; modifying by Bernadette Baum)
