The European Union has paused its countermeasures on unjustified US trade tariffs to allow time and space for EU-US negotiations.
The pause was first announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week , and takes legal effect tomorrow.
The decision – which puts on hold for up to 90 days the EU's planned countermeasures against US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium imports - was made in response to the US delaying by 90 days its so-called reciprocal tariffs.
In total, the suspended EU countermeasures cover €21 billion of US exports, matching the economic scope of the US tariffs on steel and aluminium.
As part of the EU's push to find a negotiated outcome with the US, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is today in Washington DC to hold meetings with his US counterparts in order to explore the ground for a negotiated solution.
As President von der Leyen made clear in her statement, the EU wants "to give negotiations a chance," but should talks not prove satisfactory, the EU countermeasures will kick in.
In addition to these now-suspended countermeasures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium, preparatory work on further EU countermeasures continues.
The EU considers US tariffs unjustified and damaging, risking economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy.
Next steps
The Commission has adopted two legal acts on 14 April which, respectively, impose and suspend its countermeasures:
- The first act imposes the EU countermeasures.
- The second act suspends all such measures until 14 July 2025.
Background
On 10 February 2025, the US announced that it would impose 25% tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium and derivative products. President von der Leyen immediately warned that such tariffs are "bad for business, worse for consumers" and would trigger a firm and proportionate European response. These US tariffs were imposed on 12 March.
The US tariffs of up to 25% apply on industrial-grade steel and aluminium, other steel and aluminium semifinished and finished products, and also their derivative commercial products (from machinery parts to knitting needles).
In response, the EU announced a swift and proportionate plan to impose countermeasures on US goods exports, while consistently stating its preference for finding a negotiated solution with the US.
On 9 April, EU Member States voted in favour of the European Commission's proposal.
Later on 9 April, the US announced a 90-day pause on all universal tariffs impacting the EU, and the EU swiftly responded by announcing a pause on its intended countermeasures.
On 14 April, the Commission adopted two implementing acts – one that adopts the EU countermeasures, and another act that immediately suspends them.
Concretely, the first implementing act, which imposes the EU response:
- Calibrates the 2018 measures reducing of the duty rate level to maximum 25% across the board and revising its scope (annex I).
- Introduces the new package of countermeasures to respond to the expansion of the US tariffs to new products the increase of US tariffs on aluminium from 10 to 25% (annexes II-IV).
The second act suspends all measures until 14 July 2025.
