Commerce Department Triggers EU Retaliation with 20% Liberation Day Tariffs

As part of the April 2 "Liberation Day" tariff order, the Trump administration imposed a 20% tariff on European Union imports, citing the EU's value-added tax and regulatory barriers as unfair trade practices. The EU immediately condemned the action and announced retaliatory countermeasures under WTO dispute settlement rules, threatening duties on U.S. goods including aircraft, agricultural products, and bourbon.