EU approves first retaliatory tariffs on US imports

EU member states on Wednesday approved initial retaliatory tariffs of 10% to 25% on US imports, which the European Commission says will be implemented next week.

This includes special levies on items such as jeans and motorcycles from the United States, while US-made whiskey and other alcoholic beverages were removed from the commission's proposed list.

Further counter-tariffs are due to be imposed in mid-May and at the end of the year, affecting products including beef, poultry and citrus fruits such as oranges or grapefruit. Additional tariffs on nuts and soybeans are planned for early December.

The tariffs approved on Wednesday are in response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports imposed about a month ago.

According to EU calculations, the US measures affect exports worth €26 billion ($28.8 billion). The measures being imposed by Brussels target goods worth approximately €21 billion, according to EU sources.

The EU has stressed its preference for negotiations rather than escalating the trade dispute.

Work is still under way on a further package of measures in response to the tariffs on cars and almost all other EU exports to the US more recently announced by President Donald Trump.

Trump's tariff policy aims to correct alleged trade imbalances and shift production to the United States, while partially offsetting tax cuts promised during his election campaign.