"The U.S. is considering 25% tariffs on the European Union, President Trump said at the White House on Wednesday, adding more detail to the tariff threat he has issued against the 27-nation bloc.
Trump had previously said he would target the EU with tariffs in response to the bloc's own duties, taxes and regulations on American firms, but he hadn't specified a number. During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that the tariffs will be "25%, generally speaking, and that will be on cars and all the things."
Trump didn't specify when the EU tariffs would be imposed, but he said many trade actions would come on April 2, after the completion of a trade policy review he ordered on his first day in office.
An EU spokesperson reiterated that the bloc is ready to strike back if Trump hits it with tariffs.
"As previously stated, the EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies," the spokesperson said.
The eventual tariffs, if imposed on the EU, could be less than Trump's quoted number on Wednesday. In recent weeks, EU officials have opened negotiations with the Trump administration on reducing their own tariffs and trade barriers, particularly on automobiles, and Trump has said publicly that he has been pleased with their engagement -- a line he has repeated privately to allies on Capitol Hill.
"I talked to President Trump about the automotive tariffs with Europe and he was very pleased to see them move in our direction," Sen. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.) said on Monday, adding that it's something that he and the president have "talked about for years."" [1]
1. U.S. News: Trump Adds to Threat Against EU, Floats 25% Tariffs on BlocBade, Gavin.Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 27 Feb 2025: A2.
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