In reaction to President Donald Trump's 25% steel and aluminum tariff, the European Union (EU) announced “swift and proportionate” tariffs on US goods Wednesday.

The Details: On April 1, tariffs that were suspended during Trump's first term will go back into effect and a new package of retaliatory tariffs will be issued in mid-April. The counter tariffs will affect $28.33 billion in US goods, which include a range of products including leather, plastic, and agriculture. Affected products also include whiskey, Levi's jeans, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles as the EU targeted industries in red states for political impact. 

Key Quotes: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States.” She added that the EU is “ready to engage in meaningful dialogue.” In February, Trump said of Europe, “They’ve really taken advantage of us. They don’t accept our cars, they don’t accept, essentially, our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not. And we accept everything of them.”

For Context: Canada also implemented its own 25% retaliatory tariffs on $20.7 billion worth of US goods. Yesterday, Canada moved to add electricity tariffs as well, but Trump threatened to double steel and aluminum tariffs, and in the end, they both backed down on the increased tariffs.

How The Media Covered It: Axios (Lean Left bias) only quoted von der Leyen while the Washington Post (Lean Left) quoted EU and Canadian officials. Neither quoted the Trump administration. The Washington Times (Lean Right) quoted Trump and von der Leyen. 

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