European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “Europe is ready to respond” to the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, China has also vowed to take “tough countermeasures,” Current Time reports.
On April 2, Trump announced sweeping import tariffs on goods entering the U.S. The new tariffs include a 34% rate on imports from China, 20% on the European Union, 24% on Japan, and 26% on India.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the U.S.-imposed tariffs are a “serious blow,” and that “Europe is ready to respond.”
“The universal tariffs announced by the U.S. deal a significant blow to businesses and consumers around the world. Europe is ready to respond. We will always defend our interests and values. We are also ready to cooperate—and shift from confrontation to negotiations,” she wrote on X.
Speaking to journalists, von der Leyen acknowledged Trump's concerns that some countries benefit “unfairly” from flaws in the global trading system. However, she argued that these new tariffs will not help “fix” the system.
She added that the European Union is finalizing retaliatory measures in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum and is preparing further countermeasures to “protect its interests and businesses if negotiations fail.”
China, too, is preparing “tough countermeasures” in response to the new U.S. tariffs, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
“China firmly opposes this and will resolutely take countermeasures to protect its own rights and interests,” the ministry said.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the U.S. tariffs—based on “subjective and unilateral assessments”—violate international trade rules, significantly harm the legitimate rights and interests of affected parties, and are “a typical example of unilateral bullying.”
China has called on the United States to “immediately withdraw” the tariff measures and to “properly resolve disputes with its trading partners through equal dialogue.”
