The EU has postponed its countermeasures against U.S. tariffs until mid-April to allow for more time for negotiations.

The European Union was scheduled to impose tariffs on U.S. imports in the near future as a retaliation against the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on European steel and aluminum products. However, an EU spokesperson stated on Thursday that the plan will be postponed until mid-April to allow for more time to discuss with the U.S. government. Nevertheless, the EU emphasized that this delay does not indicate a softening of its position, and the EU is still prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods worth up to €26 billion (approximately $28 billion).

The EU adjusts the timeline for countermeasures, emphasizing that it does not affect the strength of actions.

The EU spokesperson pointed out that the postponement was made to align the timing of the two waves of retaliatory measures, making them more consistent. He added, "This adjustment is merely a slight timing adjustment and does not affect the strength of our countermeasures, especially as the EU is still prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States totaling up to €26 billion."

The EU indicated as early as the beginning of March that it would respond to the US tariff actions through a dual-track strategy: on one hand, reinstating previously suspended tariffs, and on the other hand, imposing new tariffs on additional goods exported from the US to Europe.

The affected product range is extensive, covering steel, aluminum, agricultural products, and industrial goods.

According to the EU's plan, the counter tariffs will cover a variety of categories of US export products, including industrial-grade steel and aluminum materials, semi-finished and finished steel and aluminum products, as well as related derivatives such as machine parts and knitting tools. In addition, the EU may impose tariffs on several products exported from the US, such as whiskey (like bourbon whiskey), agricultural products, textiles, leather goods, and home appliances, to ensure that the impact is sufficiently broad.

"Our goal is to find the right balance of products that takes into account the interests of EU manufacturers, exporters, and consumers," said an EU spokesperson.

The retaliatory measures are aimed at the steel and aluminum tariffs during the presidency of former US President Trump.

The EU's recent tariff action is a response to the 25% tariff imposed on imported steel and aluminum products by former U.S. President Donald Trump during his term. At that time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU must "take action to protect businesses and consumers."

The EU also emphasized that the scope of this tariff retaliation is broader than before, as the impact of the new tariff measures from the United States is larger, significantly increasing the value of European trade affected. Therefore, the EU hopes to ensure that the overall value matches the impact of the new tariffs imposed by the United States by expanding its retaliatory measures.

The EU continues to negotiate with the US in search of a solution.

European Union Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Sefcovic stated on Thursday that the EU is still actively negotiating with the United States in search of possible solutions.

"President von der Leyen has authorized me to continue dialogue with the United States to seek solutions," said Shevchovich during his speech at the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade. He also emphasized that the EU will remain prepared to respond and will adjust its strategy flexibly based on developments in the United States.

In addition, Shevchovich stated that the EU plans to assess the actions of the United States on April 2, at which point it will decide whether to initiate counter-tariff measures. It is worth noting that this date coincides with the time set by the Trump administration to impose tariffs on other countries, making this trade dispute more symbolic.

This article discusses the EU's postponement of retaliatory tariffs against the US until mid-April, in order to gain more time for negotiations. It first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.