BARCELONA, Spain — The European Union on Monday said it is preparing “countermeasures” against the United States after the Trump administration’s surprise tariffs on steel rattled global markets and complicated the ongoing, wider tariff negotiations between Brussels and Washington.
Last week, ahead of Friday’s surprise announcement, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to “accelerate talks” on a deal. “In the event that our negotiations do not lead to a balanced outcome, the EU is prepared to impose countermeasures, including in response to this latest tariff increase,” European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told a press conference in Brussels.