EU trade ministers plan countermeasures to Trump’s ‘unacceptable’ 30% tariffs

EU trade ministers agreed Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of 30% tariffs on the European Union was “absolutely unacceptable,” and they are studying a new set of countermeasures to respond to the move.

The ministers met Monday in Brussels following Trump’s surprise announcement over the weekend of such hefty tariffs, which could have repercussions for governments, companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. The EU is America’s biggest business partner and the world’s largest trading bloc.

Maroš Šefčovič, the EU’s trade representative in its talks with the U.S., said after the meeting that it was “very obvious from the discussions today, the 30% is absolutely unacceptable.”

He said that the commission was sharing proposals with the 27 member countries “for the second list of goods accounting of some 72 billion euros ($84 billion) worth of U.S imports. They will now have a chance to discuss it. This does not exhaust our toolbox and every instrument remains on the table.”

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