European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded quickly to a decision by United States President Donald Trump to slap a 25 percent tariff on auto imports.
The tariffs, which Trump said will take effect April 3, are a heavy blow for the European car industry and represent the largest escalation yet in Trump’s multi-fronted trade war, which is expected to have severe global economic consequences.
“I deeply regret the US decision to impose tariffs on European automotive exports,” von der Leyen said in a statement released late Wednesday evening. “Tariffs are taxes — bad for businesses [and] worse for consumers equally in the US and the European Union.”
She said Europe would assess the tariffs, and anticipated that further measures would arrive from the White House in the coming days. Trump has stepped back from implementing tariffs on America’s allies and adversaries several times since his Jan. 20 inauguration.
“We’re signing today,” Trump said of the protectionist tariffs. “It goes into effect April 2. We start collecting on April 3.”
While von der Leyen’s language was guarded, she left little doubt that the EU is prepared to retaliate.
“The EU will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while safeguarding its economic interests,” she said. “As a major trading power and a strong community of 27 Member States, we will jointly protect our workers, businesses and consumers across our European Union.”
The tariffs, if implemented, will be felt around the world. The United States imported $214 billion worth of passenger cars in 2024, including from non-European allies like Japan, Mexico and South Korea.
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