EU vows tough countermeasures to US steel and aluminium tariffs

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen speaks in Vilnius, Lithuania (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen has vowed that US tariffs on steel and aluminium “will not go unanswered”, adding that they will trigger tough countermeasures from the 27-nation bloc.

“The EU will act to safeguard its economic interests,” Ms von der Leyen said in a statement in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminium the previous day.