European leaders vow retaliation against ‘unjustified’ Trump tariffs Ursula von der Leyen says US tariffs ‘will not go unanswered’ and Olaf Scholz pledges EU will respond as one.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Tuesday she “deeply regretted” the US president’s decision, announced late on Monday, adding: “Unjustified tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered.”.
European and world leaders have promised swift retaliation after Donald Trump signed proclamations imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the US in a move that risks precipitating a global trade war.
Von der Leyen said the US tariffs would “trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures” and vowed the 27-nation bloc would “act to safeguard its economic interests.
France’s industry minister, Marc Ferracci, said that while his country was not a major producer of aluminium or steel, it could still be indirectly affected if Chinese exports discouraged by the US tariffs instead made their way to European shores.
