EU freezes tariff countermeasures after Trump’s pause

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that the European Union will pause its planned countermeasures against the United States for 90 days, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to enforce a 90-day pause for new tariffs.

“We took note of the announcement by President Trump. We want to give negotiations a chance,” von der Leyen said in a statement on X.

The European Commission had earlier received strong backing from EU member states to proceed with retaliatory duties in response to US tariffs on European steel and aluminium. However, in light of Washington’s latest move, Brussels will delay their implementation to allow space for talks.

“If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in,” von der Leyen warned, adding that preparatory work on additional trade responses was ongoing. “As I have said before, all options remain on the table.”

The EU has consistently argued that US tariffs are unjustified and harmful to global trade and supply chains. The bloc has signalled its continued preference for a negotiated solution but stands ready to act if talks do not yield results.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
Subediting: M. S. Salama