EU mulls pushing back US trade penalties

The European Union (EU) may postpone the first phase of countermeasures against the United States over President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs until mid-April, European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday.

The European Commission had initially planned to reimpose tariffs on €4.5 billion ($4.9 billion) worth of US goods on April 1, with an additional €18 billion set to take effect on April 13.

However, Sefcovic told the European Parliament, as cited by Reuters, that aligning both tariff rounds would allow more time for consultations with EU member states and further negotiations with Washington.

The delay comes amid ongoing trade discussions, as the EU seeks a resolution to longstanding disputes over US metal tariffs first imposed in 2018.

Attribution: Reuters

Subediting: M. S. Salama