The European Commission did not waste any time announcing “strong but proportionate” countermeasures in response to new 25% tariffs introduced by the United States on European steel and aluminium imports on Tuesday 12 March 2025. The commission that these tariffs affected more than $28bn of EU exports (around €25.6bn) and described them as unjustified, disruptive to transatlantic trade and damaging to businesses and consumers.
The commission confirmed that its response would be implemented in two phases. First, it would allow the suspension of previous EU countermeasures, introduced in 2018 and 2020, to expire on 1 April. These measures had targeted US products in response to the economic impact of US tariffs on €8bn worth of European steel and aluminium exports. Second, the commission would introduce a new package of countermeasures, targeting US exports worth up to €18bn, which would come into effect by mid-April. With a total value of €26bn, the new measures match the scale of the US tariffs.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen strongly criticised the US decision, stating, “Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States.” She emphasised that the EU had no choice but to act in response to these measures, adding, “The European Union must act to protect consumers and business. The countermeasures we take today are strong but proportionate. As the US are applying tariffs worth $28bn, we are responding with countermeasures worth €26bn. This matches the economic scope of the US tariffs.”
The commission outlined its procedural steps for implementing these measures. The first phase, reinstating the 2018 and 2020 countermeasures, would take immediate effect on 1 April. In parallel, the commission initiated a process under the EU’s enforcement regulation, treating the US tariffs as a safeguard measure. A two-week stakeholder consultation is set to conclude on 26 March, after which the commission would finalise its proposal and consult member states. The legal act formalising the new countermeasures is scheduled for adoption by mid-April.
A from the commission provides a list of products which could be subject to possible measures and includes: chickens, milk, cheese, wines, champagne, perfume, plastics, polyethylene, leather and wood products, clothing, electric apparatuses, precious gems, silver, iron or steel.
Tariff showdown
The dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs has been ongoing since 2018 when the US, under president Donald Trump, imposed tariffs on €6.4bn of EU steel and aluminium exports, later adjusted to €8bn based on 2024 values. In January 2020, the US extended these tariffs to additional steel and aluminium derivative products, affecting around €40m in EU exports. In response, the EU imposed countermeasures on €2.8bn of US exports, with additional rebalancing measures planned for 2021. However, following negotiations on a tariff-based quota system for EU exporters, the EU suspended these measures until 31 March 2025 to allow further discussions.
The latest US tariffs, on 10 February 2025, applied to a broad range of industrial-grade, semifinished and finished steel and aluminium products, including derivative goods such as machinery parts and knitting needles. The commission reiterated that it remained open to negotiations but would take all necessary measures to protect its economic interests.
Von der Leyen stated, “We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs. We are ready to engage in meaningful dialogue.” Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič has been tasked with engaging in discussions to explore alternative solutions with the US.