The European Commission has presented a list of American products to which it proposes to apply tariffs, responding to the 25% duties imposed by the U.S. administration on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union and other countries.

A vote by EU member states is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, 2024, with expectations that it will pass, allowing the tariffs to take effect starting April 15, 2024. The proposed list includes items such as eggs, tomatoes, raspberries, palm oil, plastic bottle caps, lard, mattresses, satchels, and belts, most of which would be subject to a 25% tariff, while certain products, including mirrors, would face a lower tariff of 10%.

If approved, the entry of these tariffs will occur in phases.

Tariffs that were initially implemented in 2018 in response to measures taken by the previous Trump administration are set to be reinstated in April, while new tariffs associated with the increase of aluminum duties from 10% to 25% will be activated on May 16, 2024. A few items listed, such as almonds and soybeans, will not see tariffs imposed until December 2024.

Additional affected products include sinks, refrigerators, glasses, and hair dryers.

This list was communicated shortly after the ministers of trade from the 27 EU member states convened in Luxembourg amidst significant declines in global stock markets, a reaction to the U.S. tariffs announced the previous week by President Donald Trump, affecting nearly all countries.

The EU's current response is limited to the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum.

The proposed list does not include certain sensitive goods such as bourbon, wine, or dairy products, in response to concerns from various member states about potential U.S. retaliatory tariffs, particularly against wine from the EU, which prompted Italy and France to urge Brussels to remove bourbon from the countermeasures package.

The impact of these countermeasures is expected to be somewhat less than the €26 billion initially discussed by European officials, as explained by Maros Sefcovic, the European Commissioner for Trade.

Sefcovic noted that the Commission has carefully considered the views of member states to ensure a fair distribution of the tariff burden.

However, there remain challenges in addressing all member states' concerns, indicating a delicate balance in maintaining European unity.

The EU is preparing to respond to additional tariffs announced by the U.S. on various products and automobiles if talks do not commence with Washington.

On April 8, 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made public statements indicating that Sefcovic had offered ‘zero tariffs’ in reciprocal agreements between the EU and the U.S. for all industrial goods, including the automotive sector.

The list of products includes a wide range of items, numbering approximately 1,600, from foodstuffs to clothing, including men’s and women’s underwear, baby clothes, video games, and household appliances, most facing tariffs predominantly at 25%.