EU Council Approves First Tariff Package on U.S. Goods

The Council of the European Union has approved the first package of tariffs on U.S. goods, with the measures set to take effect on April 15. This information was reported by TASS, citing the press service of the EU Council.

"The EU member states voted in favor of the European Commission's proposal to implement trade countermeasures against the United States," the statement reads. It emphasizes that these tariffs are a response to the initial block of "U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum" and will begin to be collected starting April 15.

Previously, the European Commission announced that the next set of tariffs would come into force on May 15, with further levies scheduled to be introduced by December 1.

The statement does not disclose all the details of the new tariffs; as with the anti-Russian sanctions, they will be officially confirmed only after publication in the "Official Journal of the EU." However, several media outlets, including Bloomberg, reported that the tariffs could reach as high as 25% and would apply to U.S. imports into the EU valued at €21 billion.

The measures will cover agricultural and industrial products, including soybeans, meat, tobacco, iron, steel, and aluminum, as well as iconic American items such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Levi Strauss jeans. Tariffs on bourbon—corn whiskey—were not instituted, despite its inclusion in the original list by the European Commission. However, in response, the U.S. threatened 200% tariffs on European wine, a move that neither Italy nor France was willing to endorse.

On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the introduction of customs duties on products from 185 countries and territories, setting tariffs for all EU countries at 20%. Universal tariffs of 10% came into effect on April 5, and individual tariffs were implemented on April 9. Additionally, the U.S. administration imposed a 25% tariff on all imported cars starting April 3. Trump also declared a national emergency due to the economic situation.