EU warns US about expanding steel and aluminum tariffs

VTV.vn - The EU warned that the US's expansion of the list of steel and aluminum subject to tariffs could undermine the spirit of the trade agreement the two sides just signed.

Cargo port in Los Angeles, California, USA. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

European Union (EU) officials are concerned that the US move to expand the list of EU products subject to higher steel and aluminum tariffs could go against the spirit of the trade deal they signed this summer, Bloomberg reported on November 17.

EU Trade Chief Maros Sefcovic and trade ministers from the bloc’s 27 member states are expected to raise the issue with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick when they meet in Brussels on November 24. EU ambassadors have been preparing for the intervention for the past week.

The trade deal, agreed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump in August 2025, eliminates many of the bloc's tariffs on US goods, while imposing a 15% tariff cap on most European exports to the US. The EU still faces a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum exports, as well as many other derivatives containing the metals.

The US regularly revises its list of derivative products subject to higher tariffs several times a year. The EU is particularly concerned that the range of goods subject to the 50% tariffs on metals – which now exceed 400 items – as well as potential new higher tariffs on different industries will dilute the EU-US trade deal and the agreed 15% tariff ceiling.

The EU has shared a draft action plan with the US to demonstrate its continued commitment to the trade deal, according to sources. The plan covers five areas: (1) Tariffs and market access, including tariff reductions on more goods; (2) Economic security issues such as investment screening, export controls and the supply of critical raw materials; (3) Regulatory cooperation on issues such as standards, digital trade, technical barriers and other trade complaints; (4) Monitoring of strategic procurement and investment activities, which the EU has committed to for liquefied natural gas and potato chips; (5) Cooperation on steel and aluminium, in which the bloc wants to work with the US to address global overcapacity.

Source: https://vtv.vn/eu-canh-bao-my-ve-viec-mo-rong-pham-vi-thue-thep-va-nhom-100251119091026599.htm