Brussels,

How Brussels Plans to Counter Washington’s New Tariffs

EU launches a fast‑track consultation, readies a WTO case and a hefty tariff list while talks with the United States hang in the balance.

On 7 May 2025 the European Commission opened a four‑week public consultation on a draft package of counter‑tariffs and export restrictions worth almost €100 billion, targeting U.S. goods should negotiations fail to roll back the latest American duties. At the same time it will take the dispute to the World Trade Organization. Below, we unpack what the initiative entails, the strategy behind it, the stakes for both sides and how Washington might respond.

By Daniel Calls

4 MINUTES READ

Brussels, 12 May 2025 – The European Commission is threatening to slap nearly €100 billion in tariffs and export bans on U.S. goods unless Washington reverses a wave of duties that now engulfs 70% of EU exports to the United States.

In a notice posted on Wednesday, the EU executive opened a four‑week public consultation on two draft measures:

additional duties on €95 billion worth of U.S. imports,
possible curbs on €4.4 billion in EU shipments of steel scrap and chemicals headed for American factories.

The move— the first procedural step under the EU Enforcement Regulation— coincides with Brussels’ plan to file a fresh case at the World Trade Organization against what it calls “blatantly unlawful” U.S. tariffs.

“Tariffs are already dragging on the global economy,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “We want a deal, but we are preparing for every scenario.”
Maroš Šefčovič, the EU Commissioner in charge of trade and economic security, added: “We will not accept an outcome at any price.”