Voting is in the pipeline to decide the fate of US imports into the US. In an effort to determine whether the countermeasures to the United States steel and aluminium tariffs are going to turn into reality, each EU member is set to vote on April 09, announced a senior EU official.
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The Commission’s proposal of counter-tariffing big tech companies such as Elon Musk’s social network X and search engine giant Google, as well as major financial institutions like J.P. Morgan and Bank of America, will only be approved as long as it is not opposed by a qualified majority of 15 member states encompassing 65 per cent of EU population.
Ahead of the voting and shortly after the ‘liberation day’ tariff was announced, most of the EU nations have spoken their minds about the US tariff and how they feel about the newest bout.
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, a known Trump ally, called the decision “wrong” but expressed willingness to negotiate to “prevent a trade war.” Spain’s Pedro Sánchez reaffirmed his country’s commitment to “an open world,” though he described the tariffs as “a unilateral attack.”
In Ireland, Taoiseach Micheál Martin deemed Trump’s decision “deeply regrettable”, while France’s Emmanuel Macron condemned it as a “brutal and unfounded decision” with a “massive impact” on the EU economy. He warned that US consumers would end up “poorer and weaker.” French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas signalled a hardline stance, stating, “France is ready for this trade war.”
“Yesterday’s announcement is probably more damaging than many expected,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters at a press conference. Sweden has hinted that the US tariff declaration is an opportunity towards negotiations, in which the Nordic country aims to ultimately get as low tariffs as possible.
On April 1, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the European Parliament, saying, “Europe holds a lot of cards—from trade to technology to the size of our market. But this strength is also built on our readiness to take firm countermeasures. All instruments are on the table.”
Poland’s Donald Tusk estimated the tariffs could cost his country over 10 billion zloty (GBP 2 billion; USD 2.6 billion), calling it a “severe and unpleasant blow” on X (formerly Twitter). Meanwhile, Hungary blamed the EU itself for the situation, with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó urging the bloc to “get its act together” by lowering its tariffs on US automotive imports and seeking negotiation, warning that failure to do so “will be another blow to the European community.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said his country was working to “secure better terms” and added, “We have much to offer.” In Germany, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the tariffs as “fundamentally wrong.”
A 20 per cent reciprocal US tariff on EU imports is expected to worsen the eurozone’s short-term outlook, putting additional pressure on European governments to push through fiscal stimulus and economic reforms.
Focal industries at risk include:
- France: Wine, champagne, and aerospace
- Germany: Automobiles
- Italy: Luxury goods
- Spain: Gas turbines and olive oil
The chemicals, machinery, and equipment sectors are seen as the most vulnerable. However, other industries could take unexpected hits, for instance, 40 per cent of French brandy is exported to the US, heavily promoted by American rap culture, while Spain’s olive oil and gas turbines also depend on US buyers.
The European Central Bank (ECB) estimates that a 25 per cent US tariff on EU imports could shrink eurozone growth by 0.3 percentage points in the first year, with EU counter-tariffs raising this to 0.5 points. A February report by Frontier Economics found that a 20 per cent blanket tariff could slash EU goods exports by USD 209 billion, though services exports might see a modest gain.
Also, the US tariffs aren’t just about direct trade duties — they also involve non-monetary barriers such as exchange rates, technical standards, and VAT, as highlighted in the upcoming USTR Foreign Trade Barriers Report.
With the April 9 vote approaching, the EU nations’ response could set the stage for a new chapter in transatlantic trade tensions.
