Europe 1 with AFP 07:01, October 31, 2021
They have been poisoning relationships since the Trump administration. The European Union and the United States reached an agreement on Saturday to lift additional tariffs on European imports of steel and aluminum. Last June, Washington and Brussels gave themselves until December 1 to find an agreement on steel, failing which the EU would impose an increase in its tariffs.
The United States and the European Union reached a deal on Saturday to remove tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a dispute that has plagued trade relations between Washington and Brussels since the taxes were imposed by the Trump administration. US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced this "historic" agreement which will allow "limited quantities of European imports of steel and aluminum to enter the United States duty free". Last June, when the settlement of the dispute over subsidies to Airbus and Boeing was announced, Washington and Brussels gave themselves until December 1 to find an agreement on steel otherwise the EU would impose an increase. of its customs tariffs.
European reprisals canceled
The measures taken in response by the EU, scheduled for December 1 on products such as Harley Davidson motorcycles or Kentucky bourbon, will not be applied, said the US minister in a conference call from Rome, where is being held a G20 meeting.
European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis announced in a tweet: "We have agreed with the United States to suspend our trade dispute over steel and aluminum and to launch cooperation for a global agreement on the 'durable steel and aluminum. "
The Trump administration imposed in June 2018 additional tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum from several regions of the world, including the European Union, arguing the need to protect national security .
The Europeans quickly responded by planning to tax motorcycles, jeans (including Levi's), or tobacco, corn, rice or orange juice from the United States.