The European Commission has warned that it will take retaliatory measures if the United States moves forward with new tariffs on steel and aluminium, calling them unlawful and detrimental to economic relations between the two sides. The Commission emphasized that such tariffs would be unjustified and would harm both European businesses and consumers, given the strong trade and investment ties between the EU and the US.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Commission reiterated its stance against any trade barriers imposed by Washington, stating that it would act to safeguard European economic interests. Officials stressed that imposing tariffs would be counterproductive, particularly in industries where production chains are deeply integrated across the Atlantic.

The warning comes after the US president declared on Sunday that he would introduce a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminium imports, without specifying whether EU exports would be affected. The European Commission noted that it had not received any formal notification regarding the tariffs and would only respond once it had obtained full details and written clarification.

Trade tensions over steel and aluminium have been a recurring issue between the two sides. During Trump's first term, the US imposed 25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminium from the EU, citing national security concerns. In response, the EU introduced retaliatory tariffs on American products such as Bourbon whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The dispute was temporarily resolved under the Biden administration, which suspended the tariffs, but only until March of this year.

The EU maintains that transatlantic trade is mutually beneficial, pointing to a goods trade surplus of €155.8 billion for the bloc and a services trade surplus of €104 billion in favor of the US. While the Biden administration had sought to ease trade disputes, the latest tariff threats signal a potential return to the trade conflicts that marked Trump’s presidency.