EU Prioritises Talks With US To Get Trump's Levies Removed

European Union ministers broadly agreed on April 7 that the bloc should prioritise negotiations to have tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump removed over retaliation, even as it prepared a first set of targeted countermeasures.

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LUXEMBOURG - European Union ministers broadly agreed on April 7 that the bloc should prioritise negotiations to have tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump removed over retaliation, even as it prepared a first set of targeted countermeasures.

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the EU would start collecting a first tranche of duties on US imports from April 15 and a second wave from May 15.

The 27-nation bloc faces 25 per cent import tariffs on steel, aluminium and cars, and "reciprocal" tariffs of 20 per cent from April 9 on almost all other goods under Mr Trump's policy to hit countries he says impose high barriers to US imports.

"We are prepared to use every tool in our trade defence arsenal to protect the EU single market, EU producers and EU consumers," Mr Sefcovic told reporters after a meeting of the bloc's trade ministers in Luxembourg on April 7.

He said the EU would not change its value-added tax (VAT) system, which he described as an important source of income for member states.

Mr Trump's administration has said that VAT is an additional trade barrier.