The EU has welcomed the latest US tariff measures, saying they are in line with the trade agreement reached with Washington last year and ease concerns of a possible escalation in transatlantic tensions.
"The EU welcomes the fact that this outcome is consistent with the United States' commitments on tariffs under our trade agreement," the Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Friday.
The new US tariff regime, announced on Thursday and affecting around 60 economies, keeps tariffs on EU goods within the 15% ceiling agreed under the EU-US trade deal signed almost a year ago in Turnberry, Scotland.
According to the Commission, the new measures introduce an overall 10% tariff on EU imports while restoring additional exemptions for several European products, including cork and natural diamonds. Aircraft and aircraft parts, as well as generic medicines, remain exempt.
Gill said the decision creates a "positive momentum" for wider discussions between Brussels and Washington on issues such as critical raw materials and AI.
The announcement from Washington came a few hours after the EU’s decision to fine Google €890 million (nearly a billion dollars) for anti-competitive practices in the digital sector.
