EU Assessing Implications of Trump's Tariff Changes

By Edith Hancock

The European Union is assessing the implications of U.S. President Trump's move to overhaul existing tariffs on steel on imports from the bloc, a spokesperson said.

"We are assessing the implications for EU exports, which affects a wide range of products, including beer cans, certain cosmetics, machinery and parts, agricultural equipment and motorcycles," a spokesperson for the European Commission - the EU's executive arm - said late Thursday.

Under the plans, finished products made with imported steel, aluminum and copper will be tariffed at 25%. A 50% tariff will still apply to commodity-grade steel, aluminum and copper products, while products that contain less than 15% by weight of those metals won't receive a levy, but will instead be subject to Trump's separate, 10% global minimum tariff.

U.S. officials imposed a 50% tariff of steel imports last year, and later moved to expand that levy to include a broader range of products made with steel. The commission said it has consistently engaged with counterparts in the U.S. to raise its concerns and seek relief for EU exporters.

"We will continue to work towards reducing tariffs" in-line with the political trade agreement both sides reached in July 2025, the EU spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said it is assessing in detail the U.S.'s plans to impose tariffs of as much as 100% on branded pharmaceuticals, though the EU is expected to retain a maximum 15% tariff on its pharmaceuticals, reflecting the 15% tariff on EU goods set out under the bloc's 2025 agreement with the U.S. "Our priority remains to preserve a stable and predictable transatlantic trading environment," the spokesperson said.

Write to Edith Hancock at edith.hancock@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 03, 2026 10:24 ET (14:24 GMT)