• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • About Us
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Parcel & Express
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Robotics
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Customer Relationship Management
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • Green Energy
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Management & Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Warehouse Automation
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • WHITEPAPERS
  • VIDEOS
Home » EU Weighs Response to Trump Tariffs

EU Weighs Response to Trump Tariffs

A blue EU flag with yellow stars and an American flag interposed against each other

Photo: iStock / Dmytro Varavin

April 7, 2025
SupplyChainBrain

The European Union is preparing to respond to recently-announced tariffs from the Trump administration, with plans to vote on retaliatory levies on April 9.

The New York Times reports that EU leaders have been circulating a list of potential U.S. imports to target with new tariffs. Once that process is finalized, the bloc will put it to a vote, and then if the plan is approved, the levies will be implemented starting on April 15. Early versions of the list reportedly included goods such as whiskey, boats, clothing and soybeans.

On April 2, President Donald Trump announced baseline 10% tariffs on all imports into the U.S., as well as higher rates for countries with which the U.S. has the largest trade deficits. The EU was among the countries targeted for higher levies, and unless it comes to an arrangement with the U.S., 20% tariffs against the bloc will come into force on April 9. 

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Trade Minister Maros Sefcovic announced on April 7 that the bloc had previously offered to drop existing tariffs on American cars and industrial goods such as rubber and machinery, although they also signaled a willingness to defend the EU's trade interests if necessary. Sefcovic pushed back against a proposal from White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro to have the EU drop its value-added taxes as well, according to The Guardian.

Read More: Supply Chains Brace for Fallout From Trump Tariffs

“While the EU remains open to and strongly prefers negotiations, we will not wait endlessly,” Sefcovic said. “We are prepared to use every tool in our trade defense arsenal.”

EU members have been divided on how exactly to address trade with the U.S. in the months to come. While Northern European countries have pushed for an aggressive response to the Trump administration, leaders in Italy and Spain have cautioned against the impacts of what they believe would be a "lose-lose" conflict.

“We should not press the panic button,” Italy's Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said at an April 5 conference, reported by Bloomberg. "We must try to keep a cool head, evaluate the impact, and avoid a policy of retaliatory tariffs which would just be damaging for all, and especially for us.”

    RELATED CONTENT

    RELATED VIDEOS

    Global Trade & Economics Regulation & Compliance Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Related Articles

      Xi’s Careful Reply to Trump Tariffs Shows China Has More to Lose

      Legal Challenge to Trump Tariffs Leaves Supply Chains in Limbo

      Carney Gives Muted Response to Trump’s Pledge to Hike Tariffs

    SupplyChainBrain

    Australian Dock Workers Demand 28-Hour Week, Same Pay, Over AI

    More from this author

    Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

    Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

    Featured Product

    Popular Stories

    • A container ship with cargo docked at the Port of Charleston

      Port of Charleston to Pause Operations at Leatherman Terminal

      Global Gateways
    • US Treasury Check with Tariff Stamp

      Will Trump’s New Tariffs Wipe Out Importers’ IEEPA Refunds?

      Global Trade & Economics
    • Photo of Businessman using tablet and laptop, overlaid with various icons and ERP

      Why ERP Isn’t Just Another Platform You Can Rebuild With AI Code

      Artificial Intelligence
    • TWO COMMERICAL SHIPS AT SEA UNDER A DARK SKY

      Container Carriers Eye Return to Red Sea Route

      Global Gateways
    • Oil wells silhouetted at sunset, set against a faded image of a Cuban flag

      Cuba Power Grid Collapses as Fuel Crisis Hits Breaking Point

      Global Supply Chain Management

    Digital Edition

    2026 esg cover main scb q2 2026 cover

    SupplyChainBrain 2026 ESG Guide: ESG — The Supply Chain’s Biggest Secret

    VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

    Case Studies

    • Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

    • A GRAPHIC SHOWING MULTIPLE FORMS OF SHIPPING, WITH A HUMAN STANDING AT THE CENTER, TOUCHING A SYMBOLIC MAP OF THE WORLD

      Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

    • A GRAPHIC OF INTERLACING HONEYCOMBED ELEMENTS REPRESENTING GLOBAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

      Moving Robots Site-to-Site

    • JLL Finds Perfect Warehouse Location, Leading to $15M Grant for Startup

    • Robots Speed Fulfillment to Help Apparel Company Scale for Growth

    Visit Our Sponsors

    4flow Arkieva Blue Yonder
    Carton Cloud CoEnterprise Dassault
    Duravant E2Open EPG
    General Logistics Systems GEP Hy-Tek
    iGPS Korber Lyngsoe
    Procurability Quinyx SAP
    Sikick Staples Systech
    S&P Global Mobility TADA Tive
    TransImpact US Bank Werner Enterprises
    WSI
    • More From SCB
      • Featured Content
      • Video Library
      • Think Tank Blog
      • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
      • Whitepapers
      • On-Demand Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
    • Digital Offerings
      • Digital Issue
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Email Preferences
      • Newsletters
    • Resources
      • Events Calendar
      • 2026 Event Coverage
      • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
      • Supplier Directory
      • Case Study Showcase
      • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
      • 100 Great Partners Form
    • SCB Corporate
      • Advertise on SCB.COM
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact Us
      • Data Sharing Opt-Out

    All content copyright ©2026 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing