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The European Union said Thursday that it would delay imposing tariffs on US goods until mid-April as the bloc tries to avert an escalating trade war.
The pause would give the EU time to foster negotiations with the US, officials said: The bloc had earlier this month announced two rounds of counter-tariffs on $28 billion worth of US goods after Washington imposed blanket 25% levies on steel and aluminum on March 12 — US President Donald Trump has threatened further duty hikes against European imports.
However, some European analysts believe that Europe’s chances of successfully negotiating with the administration are slim at best, Reuters reported.
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Europe’s first round, which targeted iconic American goods like whiskey and bourbon, was due to take effect on March 31.
The plans were met with strong criticism from Washington. US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on European alcohol, leading Italy and France to question the bloc’s planned measures.
While tit-for-tat tariffs represent a “lose-lose game,” a former EU trade commissioner who served during Trump’s first term told Deutsche Welle, negotiators face the challenge of not entirely knowing what the US wants in terms of an acceptable outcome: “This time it’s much more difficult because you don’t really know what the aim is... This is just punishing us for bad tech rules, for unfair behavior, for Greenland, for what have you. How can you negotiate in a climate like that?”