[SMM Stainless Steel Flash] EU CBAM Functions as an Alternative Tariff, US Ambassador Argues

Published: Aug 17, 2026 10:50

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The EU-US tariff agreement took effect July 1, permanently enshrining a 15% import tariff on most EU goods. Tensions remain, however, as the EU has demanded the cancellation of US tariffs on steel, aluminum, and derivative products including machinery and structural components, arguing they violate the August 2025 framework agreement. US Ambassador Andrew Puzder pushed back, noting that the EU's CBAM — which entered its final phase on January 1, 2026, targeting steel, aluminum, cement, hydrogen, fertilizers, and power — fundamentally serves the same purpose as tariffs by raising import costs to protect domestic production from competition, describing EU complaints about US measures as a striking double standard.

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