Politico: We must hit Trump in the nose: EU to respond to US tariffs from a position of strength

The European Union intends to respond strongly to the 20% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Politico writes, citing diplomats.

“Everybody around the table thought we should react not necessarily immediately, but that we should react from a position of strength,” the interlocutor of the newspaper noted. According to two EU diplomats who spoke to Politico, the prevailing mood among European capitals is that while the bloc hates the tariffs and wants to avoid escalation, a clear majority believes something must be done to catch Trump’s attention.

“This is a classic case of dealing with a schoolyard bully: you have to hit him in the nose,” a European diplomat said.

According to sources from Politico, EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss a response strategy and the sectors of U.S. industry that Europe intends to target with tariffs during a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

On April 2, Trump announced tariffs on goods imported from numerous countries, with a 20% tariff specifically for imports from the EU. Special tariffs for imports from other countries will come into effect on April 9.