By Deutsche Welle (Europe) | Created at 2025-04-01 09:25:14 | Updated at 2025-04-03 23:45:41
2 days ago
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said she hoped to avoid a trade war but that Brussels had a "strong plan" to respond to any tariffs imposed by Washington.
US President Donald Trump is set to announce a slew of import levies against multiple countries, in what he has called a "Liberation Day" to tackle supposedly unjust trade imbalances.
Von der Leyen calls for negotiation
"Our objective is a negotiated solution. But of course, if need be, we will protect our interests, our people, and our companies," von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
"Europe has not started this confrontation. We do not necessarily want to retaliate. But if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it."
"We will assess tomorrow's announcements carefully to calibrate our response," said von der Leyen, adding she had been consulting with EU leaders on the "next steps."
She said that Europe would respond with "unity and determination."
What do we know about Trump's tariffs?
The US president claimed the world's biggest economy has been "ripped off by every country in the world."
Although Trump on Monday said he would be "very kind" when revealing details of the tariffs, markets have been gripped by uncertainty, leading to a broad sell-off in equities and fueling concerns of a potential recession.
German auto industry alarmed by Trump's car tariffs
The US president's combative tariff strategy has stoked fears of a global trade war, risking an escalating spiral of retaliation by trading partners such as China, Canada and the EU.
Since Trump's return to the White House in January, the EU has faced multiple US tariff hits — including a 25% auto import levy kicking in Thursday.
Producers were also affected by a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum from around the globe, to which Brussels has already pledged countermeasures from mid-April.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
