WP: EU accepts US tariffs as new trade reality

European Union leaders have accepted the inevitability of US President Donald Trump's decision to impose import tariffs on European goods.

The tariff policy under Trump has become a new reality that Europe must navigate, The Washington Post reports, citing two senior EU diplomats.

The EU's diplomatic strategy now centres on securing a reduction in the scale of the tariffs, protecting sensitive sectors of its economy, and preventing further escalation of trade restrictions from Washington.

EU negotiators will base their position on highlighting the deep interdependence between the two economies and presenting assessments of the potential damage that could be inflicted on the US itself by its own policies. These evaluations are to be conveyed directly to President Trump during his bilateral meetings with EU leaders.

Earlier this week, the European Commission (EC) announced it would take "swift and proportionate countermeasures" against American imports in response to new US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the EU. The EC has indicated that these retaliatory measures could affect up to €26 billion worth of US exports, mirroring the economic scale of the tariffs imposed by the US.

On February 10, President Trump ordered a 25% tariff on all foreign steel and aluminium shipments to the US, with the measure set to take effect on March 12. This decision impacts imports from countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the UK, EU member states, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Japan.

By Aghakazim Guliyev