EU urged to respond as tariffs threaten

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump's surprise announcement of sweeping 30 percent tariffs on EU exports at the weekend has provoked a fierce backlash across the bloc, with officials and industry leaders demanding a strong and united response amid continued trade talks.

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The proposed tariffs, set to take effect on Aug. 1, target EU imports and were justified by Trump as a correction of a “far from reciprocal” trade relations.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned at the weekend that the tariffs would “disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic”.

While emphasising the EU’s continued commitment to a negotiated solution, she said the bloc “will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.”

European lawmakers and national leaders voiced growing frustration, with many urging immediate retaliatory steps.

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s committee on international trade, said the US letter is “both impertinent and a slap in the face” after weeks of negotiations.

He urged the EU to begin retaliatory measures today as scheduled, stating that “the period of waiting is over”.