EU approves tariffs on American goods worth €21 billion, targeting Republican states.

The European Union is imposing tariffs on American goods worth approximately €21 billion ($23.2 billion) in response to the 25% tariff on steel and aluminum that the U.S. introduced on European exports last month. The majority of EU member countries voted for sanctions that will come into effect in mid-April. The tariffs are aimed at politically significant American states and include products such as soybeans from Louisiana, diamonds, agricultural products, poultry, and motorcycles.

According to information obtained by POLITICO, the tariffs will amount to 25% of the volume of U.S. exports to Europe for the year 2024. The tariffs will affect exports from Republican 'red' states worth up to $13.5 billion. The European Commission stated that it could stop the sanctions if the U.S. agrees to mutually beneficial negotiations.

Such actions deepen the trade war between the EU and the U.S. The U.S. has also imposed a 20% tariff on nearly all European exports and a 25% tariff on cars and auto parts. European customs duties will come into effect in April and will affect products such as orange juice and cranberries. Tariffs on steel, meat, chocolate, and polyethylene will be introduced later.

European countries chose products that would cause the most harm to Trump's electoral base. Among them are beef from Kansas and Nebraska, poultry from Louisiana, auto parts from Michigan, cigarettes from Florida, and wood products from North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Tariffs will also be imposed on ice cream from Arizona, tissues from South Carolina, electric blankets from Alabama, ties from Florida, and washing machines from Wisconsin. However, bourbon was excluded from the list after lobbying by France, Italy, and Ireland.

China, Canada, and the EU have imposed tariffs on American exports amounting to nearly $90 billion. The European Union proposes 'zero for zero' on tariffs for industrial goods, but Trump considers this insufficient and urges the EU to purchase American energy products worth $350 billion. The European Union is currently holding negotiations with the U.S., but unsuccessfully.

Analysis and Context:

The approval by the European Union to impose tariffs on American goods of significant value deepens the trade conflict between the EU and the U.S. These measures were taken in response to tariffs that the U.S. imposed on a range of European goods. The imposition of tariffs will have serious consequences for American exports and could escalate tensions between the U.S. and the European Union. This conflict reflects threats to the global economy and instability in international relations.