EU files a complaint with the WTO over U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum

The European Union has decided to follow China’s example by filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

– As a significant exporter, the European Union has a vested interest in this case, and is seeking consultations with the United States to negotiate “protective measures,” the EU stated in a press release published on Monday on the WTO’s website.

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U.S. President Donald Trump stoked fears of a trade war in March with his decision to impose high tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, primarily targeting China but also affecting European Union countries. China filed a complaint with the WTO on April 5 against U.S. trade measures but went through the WTO’s dispute resolution body, notes AFP.

Brussels, in its complaint to the WTO, emphasizes that the goal of discussions with the U.S. will be to “exchange views and request clarification on the proposed measures” as well as to reach an “agreement on options” for protection, in accordance with the WTO’s agreement on protective measures. Brussels stresses that it wants consultations to begin “as soon as possible.”

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– The EU and the U.S. have initiated discussions on this topic. Contacts have been established at multiple levels, particularly regarding the issue of overcapacity in the steel and aluminum sectors, an unnamed source in the European Commission told AFP.

– In these discussions, the European Commission insists on a complete and unconditional exemption from the announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, the source added.