In the tariff dispute with US President Trump, the EU is preparing further retaliatory tariffs on imports from the US. They amount to €72 billion and are expected to come into force if negotiations with Washington fail.

Following US President Donald Trump's new tariff announcements, the EU is preparing countermeasures. Additional counter-tariffs on US products totaling €72 billion are planned, said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. The EU Commission has presented a list to member states that would come into force if negotiations with the US government fail. However, the goal remains to find a compromise.

The list includes industrial and agricultural products from the US that are expected to be affected by new tariffs. It was recently slightly adjusted following a public consultation. It originally included imports from the US to the EU worth as much as €95 billion.

Sefcovic did not specify which products were removed from the list. It also included symbolically relevant products such as American aircraft, cars, and bourbon whiskey.

"We were almost there"

Despite ongoing negotiations, Trump announced on Saturday tariffs of 30 percent on goods from the EU, which are due to take effect in August. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen subsequently stated that the EU is nevertheless ready to work on an"agreement" by August 1. The EU also does not intend to impose retaliatory tariffs on US products until that date. Preparations for such retaliatory tariffs are nevertheless ongoing.

EU Commissioner Sefcovic expressed disappointment at Trump's tariff announcement."We've been negotiating an agreement in principle for weeks, and I think we were almost there," he said. Trump's announcement now brings"a completely different dynamic."

At the same time, Sefcovic warned that the implementation of Trump's plans would have drastic effects on transatlantic trade."Let's be honest: A tariff of 30 percent would amount to a de facto trade ban," he said. If tariffs of 30 percent or more were to come into force, significant negative effects on both sides of the Atlantic could be expected. The EU Trade Commissioner emphasized that he would therefore continue the dialogue with the US to reach a negotiated solution.

Further counter-tariffs already decided

Counter-tariffs have also already been agreed in case the US does not lift the new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports introduced months ago. According to previous EU information, these tariffs affect US exports worth a total of €21 billion and could be added to the tariffs on exports worth €72 billion.