EU prepares countermeasures in response to US tariffs – Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the United States' decision to impose import tariffs, announced by President Donald Trump on April 2, "a major blow to the world economy," and said that the European Union is preparing countermeasures in response.

Ursula von der Leyen's statement was published on the European Commission's website.

Thus, Ursula von der Leyen noted that the consequences of such a US decision "will be dire for millions of people around the globe."

"This will be felt immediately. Millions of citizens will face higher food bills. Medicines will cost more, as will transport. Inflation will go up. And this will greatly harm the most vulnerable citizens. All businesses - large and small - will suffer from day one," she emphasized.

As Ursula von der Leyen noted, the global trading system has serious flaws. The European Commission President also agreed with Donald Trump that other countries have taken unfair advantage of global trade rules, and she is ready to support efforts to reform them, but stressed that the use of tariffs will not fix the problem.

Von der Leyen noted that the EU has always been ready to negotiate with the US from the beginning to remove any remaining barriers to transatlantic trade. But at the same time, she said, the EU is ready to respond.

"We are already finalizing the first package of countermeasures in response to steel tariffs. And we are now preparing further countermeasures to protect our interests and businesses if the negotiations fail," Ursula von der Leyen said.

But she added that "it is not too late to address concerns through negotiations."

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, US President Donald Trump officially launched a tariff, or "trade" war against all countries, introducing duties ranging from 10% to 50% on imports, depending on the country of origin.

To request a correction, please send an email.