The EU approved the first round of countermeasures against US trade, imposing tariffs of up to 25% on certain US goods starting next week.

On Wednesday evening Beijing time, the European Commission announced that member states had voted in favor of the Commission's proposed countermeasures against US trade. (Source: European Commission) It is reported that the EU's first wave of countermeasures targets the 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imposed by Trump on the EU last month, and will impose tariffs on US goods worth approximately 21 billion euros, with most goods subject to a 25% tariff rate. These tariffs will target goods from politically sensitive states in the US, including soybeans (the main producing state, Louisiana, is the hometown of US House Speaker Mike Johnson), tobacco, diamonds, poultry, and motorcycles. Among the 27 EU member states, 26 voted in favor, with only Hungary opposing. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a staunch ally of Trump. The current retaliatory measures have not yet responded to Trump's 20% "reciprocal" tariff on the EU and the 25% tariff on automobiles. EU trade spokesperson Olof Gill said on Tuesday that the European Commission is expected to propose countermeasures against these tariffs next week, followed by consultations with member states. The EU emphasized that US tariff measures are unfounded and destructive, causing damage to both sides and the global economy. The EU has clearly stated its preference for negotiating with the US to reach a balanced and mutually beneficial solution. The EU also stated that countermeasures could be stopped at any time if the US agrees to a fair and balanced negotiation outcome. According to statistics, Trump has imposed a 20% "reciprocal" tariff on all European exports and a separate 25% tariff on automobiles and some auto parts. He also stated that additional tariffs will be imposed on wood, semiconductor chips, and pharmaceutical products. The total value of EU goods affected by this series of tariffs reaches 380 billion euros, accounting for 70% of total exports. The EU's first batch of countermeasures will be implemented in three phases. The first batch of tariffs will take effect on April 15, another batch will be implemented in mid-May, and the third batch will start on December 1. Most US goods will face a 25% tariff rate, with a few categories subject to a 10% tax. Although the EU has once again expressed its willingness to negotiate, the US attitude remains quite ambiguous. It is reported that EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic discussed the potential scope of engagement with the US on trade issues on Tuesday evening, but insiders revealed that little progress has been made so far, and US officials do not seem to have received clear negotiation authorization from Trump. Trump has repeatedly criticized the EU, the US's largest trading partner, saying its purpose is to "harm" the US. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also stated that the EU "holds many cards" in retaliating against US trade policies. In fact, the EU's countermeasures are also closely related to Trump. During his first term, he initiated the US-EU steel and aluminum dispute, and the shocked EU eventually launched the group's "anti-coercion tool" aimed at countering countries that use trade and economic measures for coercion. Facing Trump's return, EU member states such as France and Germany have also called for the use of this trade tool to deal a heavy blow to US tech giants.