John Whelan: EU should not use trade 'bazooka' in response to US tariffs

The French, Italians, and Spanish were equally worried about the Brussels-recommended 50% tax on American whiskey, which appears to have been leaked to the US officials

The present pause by the European Commission gives some room for reflection and perhaps an opportunity for a different strategic approach to handling the tariff trade disagreement with the US to be devised.

We are in the calm before the storm phase of the tariff war with the US. The EU has deferred for two weeks its response to the US’ 25% steel and aluminium tariffs imposed earlier this month.

The proposed list of goods drawn up by the bureaucrats in Brussels, against which the EU would apply a range of duties amounting to €26bn hit to US imports, is being urgently reviewed by all member states.