On March 20th local time, an official in charge of trade and economic security affairs at the European Commission stated that the EU will postpone tariffs on US products, including bourbon whiskey and motorcycles, until mid - April to continue negotiations and avoid a trade war.
In response to the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by the US starting from March 12th, the European Commission initially planned to reactivate the tariffs on US goods imposed in 2018 starting from April 1st. Meanwhile, it planned to implement a new package of counter - measures in mid - April.
The official said, "We are now considering adjusting the timing of the two sets of EU responses so that we can consult with member states on both lists simultaneously." He added that this would also provide "extra time" for negotiations between the EU and the US.
If no agreement is reached, the EU will "readjust" its response, taking into account the reciprocal tariffs to be implemented by a previous US administration on April 2nd. The official said that this approach ensures a "firm, proportionate, forceful and carefully calibrated" response while maintaining EU unity and addressing the concerns of affected sectors.