EU Delays First Round of Counter Tariffs Until Mid-April

The 27-nation bloc had planned to introduce its first round of tariffs on items such as American whiskey from the start of April.

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 1, 2023. Johanna Geron/Reuters

The European Union has delayed its first salvo of counter-tariffs against the United States over Washington’s metals levy until mid-April, allowing it time to rethink which American goods to target and give extra time for negotiations.

The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s executive branch, had proposed reimposing 2018 tariffs on 4.5 billion euros ($4.9 billion) of U.S. products from the start of next month, followed by whacking another 18 billion euros ($19.5 billion) of U.S. goods on April 13.