The European Union will pause countermeasures to U.S. tariffs for 90 days "to give negotiations a chance," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Thursday on X.
The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday paused most of his country-specific reciprocal tariffs, including on the EU, for 90 days. The U.S. had placed a 20% tariff hike on imports from the bloc.
The EU had been preparing to lift a suspension on previously installed tariffs and implement additional countermeasures against the U.S. on April 15 in response to the 25% duties Trump placed on all steel and aluminum imports. The EU’s delayed retaliatory duties would cover products ranging from boats to bourbon and impact up to 26 billion euros' worth of U.S. exports.
"If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in," von der Leyen said Thursday. "Preparatory work on further countermeasures continues. As I have said before, all options remain on the table."
To help move negotiations forward, the EU has offered the U.S. a "zero-for-zero tariffs" deal on industrial products, von der Leyen said earlier this week.
More than 75 countries have reached out to the White House to start trade negotiations, Trump said on Truth Social Wednesday. Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and India are “at the front of the queue,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a White House press briefing the same day. The EU was not mentioned.
