Trump looks prepared to kick off a trade war with the European Union
- The Trump administration will impose steel and aluminum tariffs on imports from the European Union, according to the Wall Street Journal.
- The tariffs come after talks between the EU and US failed to produce an alternative trade deal.
- The EU is expected to respond with tariffs on US goods, setting off a likely trade war.
The Trump administration will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, according to a new report, after talks regarding an alternative remedy failed to produce an alternative deal.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the tariffs could be announced as early as Thursday.
The EU will almost certainly respond with their own tariffs, pushing the US and Europe closer to a trade war.
The tariffs are a culmination of a dramatic three months since President Donald Trump announced a 25% steel tariff and 10% aluminum tariff.
- Trump initially granted the EU and other key allies a reprieve from the steel and aluminum tariffs with a May 1 expiration.
- After talks did not progress with the EU and a handful of countries - such as Canada and Mexico - on an alternative solution, Trump kicked the can until June 1.
Even then, EU executives and leaders from members countries refused to negotiate until Trump dropped the threat of tariffs. So with no alternative deal in sight, the Trump team appears poised to move forward .
The decision will almost certainly be met with blowback from the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May said an a joint statement before the expiration of the first exemption that the countries should be ready in the event the US tariffs went into effect.
"The European Union should be ready to decisively defend its interests within the framework of multilateral trade rules," the trio said.
Previous to the exemption, the EU threatened to respond to the steel and aluminum crackdown with tariffs on US goods like motorcycles, blue jeans, and bourbon.
According to the Journal, the fight could still be avoided by a last-minute trade deal.. But such an agreement is highly unlikely.