From champagne to steel and now cars: it is getting harder to keep up with US President Donald Trump‘s growing tariff target list and the retaliatory measures by trade partners.
Here is a rundown of what has been implemented, threatened and coming next in the escalating trade war:
Car Clash
Trump announced Wednesday that the United States would charge a 25-percent tariff on auto imports, with levies to be collected starting in April 3.
Germany and France, homes to major companies such as Volkswagen, Mercedes and Jeep maker Stellantis, said the European Union would have retaliate while Japan and Canada were weighing their options.
Trump warned that if the EU and Canada work together “to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both.”
Tariffs in Place
In early March, Trump imposed a 20 percent tariff on products from China, which has a huge trade surplus with the United States and was already his top target during his firm presidential term in 2017-2021.
Beijing has retaliated by taking aim at US agricultural products, such as poultry, wheat and cotton.
A 25-percent US tariff on steel and aluminium from around the world came into effect in mid-March.
Trump’s goal is to protect the declining US steel industry as it faces growing competition, especially from Asia.
The United States imports around half the steel and aluminium used in the country to make items ranging from cars and planes to soft-drink cans.
Canada is the leading supplier of steel to the United States, followed by Brazil then the EU.
Ottawa retaliated with additional tariffs on $20.7 billion of US goods, from steel to computers and sports equipment.
Moves Paused
The European Commission responded to the steel tariffs by announcing plans to target US goods ranging from bourbon to boats and motorbikes, and worth a total $28 billion.
But Brussels said last week that the tariffs, originally due to take effect on April 1, would be delayed by two weeks to give more time for dialogue.
Trump threatened to retaliate by putting a 200 percent tariff on champagne, wine and other spirits from the European Union.
The US leader has also delayed tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, both of which are ready to retaliate.
Next Big Date: April 2
Trump has signed plans for sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” that could hit both allies and adversaries by April 2 – what he has since coined as “Liberation Day.”
The levies would be tailored to each US trading partner and take into account the tariffs they impose on American goods, alongside taxes the White House calls discriminatory, such as value-added taxes.
It is also the day that the delayed tariffs from Mexico and Canada are supposed to come into force.
Other Threats
Trump announced earlier this week that he would slap 25-percent tariffs on imports from countries buying oil and gas from Venezuela, a punitive measure that could hit China and India in particular.
He has also vowed that products from the 27-nation European Union would be hit with a tariff of 25 percent, claiming that the bloc has “taken advantage of us.”
The EU has a $50-billion trade surplus with the United States.
