EU member states on Wednesday, approved first retaliatory tariffs of 10 per cent to 25 per cent on U.S. imports, which the European Commission says will be implemented next week.
Media Talk Africa reports that it includes special levies on items such as jeans and motorcycles from the United States, while US-made whiskey and other alcoholic beverages were removed from the commission’s proposed list.
Also, further counter-tariffs are due to be imposed in mid-May and at the end of the year, affecting products including beef, poultry and citrus fruits such as oranges or grapefruit, while additional tariffs on nuts and soybeans are planned for early December.
The tariffs approved on Wednesday, are said to be in response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports imposed about a month ago.
According to EU calculations, the US measures affect exports worth 26 billion euros, 28.8 billion U.S. dollars.
The 27-member bloc said the measures being imposed by Brussels target goods worth approximately 21 billion euros.
The EU has also emphasised its preference for negotiations rather than escalating the trade dispute.
It further said that work was still under way on a further package of measures in response to the tariffs on cars and almost all other EU exports to the U.S. more recently announced by President Donald Trump.
