Von der Leyen: EU countermeasures if negotiations fail

SAMARKAND (ANP) – “We are already working on finalizing the first package of countermeasures in response to the tariffs on steel,” said Von der Leyen on Thursday in Samarkand, a city in Uzbekistan, where she is attending a summit. “And we are now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our companies if the negotiations fail.”

Von der Leyen also states that the global trading system has “serious shortcomings.” “I agree with President Trump that others are unfairly benefiting from the current rules,” she says. Therefore, she is willing to make the “global trading system suitable for the reality of the world economy. But I also want to be clear: tariffs as a first and last resort do not solve the problem.”

Trump previously announced a basic tariff of 10 percent on most goods imported by the United States. On Wednesday, the American president announced an additional tariff of 20 percent for the European Union. According to experts, this threatens to fuel inflation and slow economic growth in the US and worldwide.

(April 3, 2025)