The European Commission has proposed eliminating all tariffs on industrial goods in a bid to defuse escalating trade tensions with the United States, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.
Trump has announced a 20% blanket tariff on EU imports, effective April 9. The move will impact over €380 billion worth of European goods, including steel, aluminum, and cars, which face a separate 25% duty. Exemptions have been granted to key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, copper, lumber, semiconductors, and energy.
“We stand ready to negotiate with the US. Indeed, we have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods as we have successfully done with many other trading partners,” von der Leyen said, emphasizing the EU’s willingness to strike a deal while warning that countermeasures remain on the table.
She said the Commission had previously made a similar offer focused solely on the automotive sector, but received “no adequate reaction” from Washington. With talks intensifying, the EU recently broadened its proposal to include all industrial goods, a spokesperson confirmed, though no further details were given.
Brussels is increasingly worried about ripple effects from the tariffs across the global economy, especially in Asia. China now faces a combined 54% duty following an additional 34% on top of a pre-existing 20%. Beijing has already retaliated.
Brussels fears the elevated rates will effectively block Asian exports from the US market, causing a flood of redirected goods into Europe. China, already under scrutiny for shipping low-cost, subsidized products into Western markets, is a particular concern.
Von der Leyen also announced the launch of a new “Import Surveillance Task Force” to track shifts in trade flows. “We will also protect ourselves against indirect effects through trade diversion,” she said, adding the task force will monitor sudden surges in specific products or sectors.
