The European Union has put forward proposals for a new wave of retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth $72bn (£62.4bn), following President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 30% levies on EU imports from 1 August.
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič announced the measures ahead of urgent talks with senior US officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Envoy Jamieson Greer, in a last-ditch effort to rescue a transatlantic trade agreement.
Speaking after a meeting with EU ministers, Šefčovič warned that while the bloc remains committed to negotiations, it is also preparing for the possibility of failure. “The EU never walks away without genuine effort,” he said. “But it takes two hands to clap.”
He confirmed the European Commission has now shared with member states a second list of US goods targeted for potential tariffs, covering approximately €72bn in imports. This follows an earlier plan to impose €21bn in duties, which Brussels shelved at the last minute in hopes of reaching a deal.
Šefčovič said the two sides had come “very close” to an agreement, but talks have been derailed by Trump’s renewed tariff threats and sector-specific levies, particularly those aimed at cars, pharmaceuticals, steel, and aluminium.
The EU’s latest move signals a firm response as it braces for the fallout of a deteriorating trade relationship with Washington.
