EU mulls coal, pharma, chemicals tariffs if US hits cars – Wiwo

19th July 2018 By: Reuters

BERLIN – The European Union (EU) will consider introducing tariffs on coal, pharmaceuticals and chemical products from the United States if President Donald Trump imposes restrictions on European cars, Germany's Wirtschaftswoche magazine reported on Thursday.

"Depending on progress made during the visit of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the member states will decide on their future strategy at the end of next week," an unnamed EU diplomat was quoted as saying in the magazine.

The list of countermeasures could then be agreed on, said the magazine.

Juncker heads to Washington next week to discuss strained trade relations between the EU and US after Trump imposed tariffs on EU steel and aluminium, and following his repeated threats to extend those measures to European cars.

Wirtschaftswoche said any steps taken in response to tariffs on European cars would have to be broader than earlier, targeted countermeasures following US tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Juncker is due to meet Trump on July 25 and has said he will explain that the European Commission coordinates trade policy for the 28-nation bloc.