EU ready to retaliate after Trump hits bloc with 30 percent tariff

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🗞️ Driving the news: The European Union signalled readiness to retaliate after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a sweeping 30% tariff on all EU imports starting August 1, 2025
• In a sharply worded statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Brussels would “take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests,” while calling for continued negotiations to avert escalation
• EU trade ministers and ambassadors are convening emergency meetings in Brussels over the weekend

🔭 The context: This latest confrontation follows months of strained trade talks, in which the EU sought to secure a 10% baseline tariff and sectoral exemptions for key industries such as automotive, aerospace and spirits
• The Trump administration’s unilateral move disrupts progress and risks reigniting transatlantic trade tensions reminiscent of earlier U.S.-EU disputes over steel, aluminium, and digital taxes
• Ireland and Italy, among others, have urged restraint, citing both economic and geopolitical risks to the Western alliance

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: A transatlantic trade war would undermine climate and sustainability cooperation between two of the world’s largest economies, both critical to advancing global environmental goals
• Disrupted supply chains could harm renewable energy components, green technology exports, and pharmaceuticals, while diverting political capital from joint action on climate policy and biodiversity
• Increased tariffs could also incentivise carbon-intensive reshoring, counteracting decarbonisation efforts

⏭️ What's next: EU ambassadors will meet Sunday, with trade ministers gathering Monday, to finalise a counterstrategy, including €21.5 billion in immediate retaliatory tariffs and potential additional measures covering €70 billion in U.S. goods
• While the EU insists on its willingness to negotiate, the window to reach an agreement before the August 1 deadline is narrowing
• Business lobbies and vulnerable sectors are expected to intensify calls for de-escalation in the coming weeks

💬 One quote: “Imposing 30 percent tariffs on EU exports would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,”  Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President.

📈 One stat: The EU’s planned first wave of retaliatory tariffs would target €21.5 billion in U.S. imports, with a second tranche under consideration for up to €70 billion

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