EU retaliates with initial package of tariffs on $23.2 billion worth of goods

The European Union has agreed to impose tariffs on €21 billion ($23.2 billion) worth of US goods in retaliation for the 25% tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last month on EU steel and aluminum exports. A majority of the EU's 27 member states voted Wednesday in favor of the sanctions, some of which will begin in mid-April. The tariffs will target politically sensitive US states and include products such as soybeans from Louisiana, the home state of House Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as diamonds, agricultural products, poultry, and motorcycles. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said in a statement that the countermeasures could be suspended at any time "if the United States agrees to a fair and balanced negotiating outcome." The measures are scheduled to take effect in phases, on April 15, May 16, and December 1. This move adds to the growing transatlantic trade war, with the United States also implementing a comprehensive 20% tariff on virtually all European exports, in addition to separate 25% tariffs on cars and some auto parts.