EU Announces Retaliatory Tariffs on US Imports

The EU Commission yesterday announced the return of retaliatory tariffs against US products that include US recreational boats. This is as a reaction to the US steel and aluminum tariffs announced by the US Administration in February.

On 12 March, the US imposed tariffs of up to 25% on imports of steel, aluminum, and certain products containing steel and aluminium from the European Union and other trading partners. In response, the Commission is launching a series of countermeasures to protect European businesses, workers and consumers from the impact of these unjustified trade restrictions.

Tariff Wars Escalate

The US measures implemented on 12 March consist of three key elements:

• Reinstating the June 2018 section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium products. These covered different types of semifinished and finished products, such as steel pipes, wire and tin foil.
• Increasing the tariffs imposed on aluminum from the original 10% to 25%.
• Extending the tariffs to other products, notably:

       o    Steel and aluminum products, such as household products like cooking ware or window frames.
       o    Products that are only partly made of steel or aluminum, such as machinery, gym equipment, certain electrical appliances or furniture.

In addition, the US Secretary of Commerce will establish by 12 May 2025 a system whereby the US will continue to extend the list of steel and aluminum derivatives products subject to additional duties of up to 25%.

The US tariffs will affect a total of €26 billion of EU exports, which corresponds to approximately 5% of total EU goods exports to the US. Based on current import flows, this will result in US importers having to pay up to €6 billion in additional import tariffs.

The EU’s Response

The Commission has launched a swift and proportionate response, designed to defend European interests through two countermeasures:

• The reimposition of the suspended 2018 and 2020 rebalancing measures;
• The imposition of a new package of additional measures.

Reimposing suspended countermeasures

On 1 April 2025, the 2018 and 2020 rebalancing measures will automatically be reinstated once their suspension expires on 31 March. For the first time, these rebalancing measures will be implemented in full. Tariffs will be applied on products ranging from boats to bourbon to motorbikes.

A new package of additional measures

Since the new US tariffs are significantly broader in scope and affect a significantly higher value of European trade, the Commission launched on 12 March the process to impose additional countermeasures on the US. These will target approximately €18 billion worth of goods, which will then apply together with the reimposed measures from 2018. The objective is to ensure that the total value of the EU measures corresponds to the increased value of trade impacted by the new US tariffs.

Europe’s Boating Industry Association Statement

In a statement issued today, European Boating Industry (EBI) says it strongly opposes the tariffs, highlighting the potential risks to European businesses and the entire value chain. EBI urges both sides to engage in careful negotiations over the coming days and weeks to resolve this urgent issue.

“The imposition of retaliatory tariffs, as seen between 2018 and 2021, would have significant negative consequences,” reads the statement. “Tariffs disrupt businesses, hinder economic growth, and jeopardizes jobs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of the boating industry in Europe and the EU as a whole.

“It is important to note that these tariffs are unrelated to the recreational boating sector, arising from the dispute over steel and aluminum. They would negatively impact European industry and the EU’s competitiveness goals and carry unintended consequences. The permanent removal of tariffs on unrelated sectors, such as recreational boats, would instead support economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic.”

EBI is engaging in ongoing dialogue with the EU Commission, its partners the US, and other affected European sectors. The recreational boating industry, uniquely ‘Made In Europe’, consists of over 32,000 businesses and directly employs more than 280,000 people. Over 96% of businesses in the sector are SMEs.