Trade wars between Europe and the US: Europe responds to Trump

The European Union (EU) plans to impose additional taxes in response to tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump. This was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump's new tariffs and the EU's losses

From March 12, 2025, the US administration has imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products imported from the European Union and Canada. This new regime could cause significant financial damage to the EU, resulting in a total loss of 26 billion euros.

Brussels has decided to impose additional taxes on goods from the US, including boats, motorcycles and alcohol, to compensate for these losses.

"Tariffs are taxes. They are harmful to both businesses and consumers. They disrupt supply chains, create uncertainty in the economy and threaten jobs. This is not good for the EU or the US," said Ursula von der Leyen.

Brussels' response

The EU has said it is ready to resolve the US tariff war through negotiations. However, Brussels has announced that the retaliatory measures will be implemented in two stages - from April 1 and April 13.

The European Union has previously tried to stop the tariff war started by Trump. In February, the EU's trade policy representative Maroš Šefčovič held talks in Washington and proposed increasing imports of liquefied natural gas and defense products from the US. However, this attempt did not work.

"It seems that the US administration is not ready for a deal. If Washington puts its interests first, the EU will do the same. We will protect European businesses, workers and consumers from illegal tariffs," said Maroš Šefčovič.

Political conflicts between the US and the EU

In addition to the trade issue, the US and the EU are also facing disagreements in other areas.

On February 14, 2025, US Vice President Jay Dee Vance was widely criticized by European politicians for trying to pressure European leaders at the Munich Security Conference and trying to educate them like children.

In addition, after the Trump administration came to power, disagreements arose between the US and Europe over the issue of Ukraine. Washington is pushing for talks with Moscow and is clearly reluctant to involve the European Union in the process.

European politicians see this as a US concession to Russia on the issue of Ukraine and consider it a betrayal.

Trade war is also escalating with Canada

The Trump administration is facing trade problems not only with the EU, but also with Canada. The American president has repeatedly suggested that Canada become the "51st state" of the United States and has insulted its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him "governor." This is further straining relations between the two countries.

Trade relations between the United States and the European Union are becoming increasingly tense. Brussels's sharp response to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, the ineffectiveness of negotiations, and political disagreements may lead to a deepening of this dispute.

Meanwhile, the US is engaged in economic conflict not only with Europe but also with Canada, seriously affecting the global trade environment. This situation could lead to new trade wars in international relations. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!