The United States will impose customs duties on imports of steel and aluminum from the European Union, Mexico and Canada.
It will start imposing 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports in the coming days.
The decision, unveiled by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, will affect a number of key companies in US allies and NATO members in Europe.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Mer said the cartoons would be "unjustified and dangerous."
Britain expressed "disappointment" at the US decision, while EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom called it "a bad day for global trade."
Ross announced the decision from Paris, where he was negotiating with EU leaders who were trying to avoid fees.
He said the talks did not give any progress to ensure a postponement of the implementation, based on the possibility of retaliation.
"We have to wait for their reaction, and we will continue to resolve further discussions with all parties," he said.
Lemerre warned that the EU would take "the necessary measures" to respond if the United States went ahead with the imposition of fees.
"It's all in the hands of the US authorities, whether they want to fight a trade conflict with Europe, their biggest partner, or not," he said before the announcement.
Ben Deeghby of the Business Lobby group described the cartoons as "very worrying" but urged the parties to be cautious, taking into account the costs of any trade war.
"The time now is not appropriate for any relative escalation, and we urge the EU to take this into account when it starts to respond."
It will start imposing 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports in the coming days.
The decision, unveiled by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, will affect a number of key companies in US allies and NATO members in Europe.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Mer said the cartoons would be "unjustified and dangerous."
Britain expressed "disappointment" at the US decision, while EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom called it "a bad day for global trade."
Ross announced the decision from Paris, where he was negotiating with EU leaders who were trying to avoid fees.
He said the talks did not give any progress to ensure a postponement of the implementation, based on the possibility of retaliation.
"We have to wait for their reaction, and we will continue to resolve further discussions with all parties," he said.
Lemerre warned that the EU would take "the necessary measures" to respond if the United States went ahead with the imposition of fees.
"It's all in the hands of the US authorities, whether they want to fight a trade conflict with Europe, their biggest partner, or not," he said before the announcement.
Ben Deeghby of the Business Lobby group described the cartoons as "very worrying" but urged the parties to be cautious, taking into account the costs of any trade war.
"The time now is not appropriate for any relative escalation, and we urge the EU to take this into account when it starts to respond."
source
No comments