French President Emmanuel Macron led a heated yet considered European Union reaction to United States-imposed tariffs, calling the 20% levy on the continent "brutal and unfounded".
Macron ruminated that any French or European response to the tariffs would be more significant than previous retaliatory tariffs or countermeasures.
He also called for a halt to investment in the U.S.
"The US economy will become poorer and weaker," Macron said.
Meanwhile, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said President Donald Trump's announcement of universal tariffs on the whole world, including the EU, is a major blow to the world economy.
“Let's be clear-eyed about the immense consequences… the global economy will massively suffer [and] uncertainty will spiral and trigger the rise of further protectionism,” von der Leyen said in a statement.
“The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe.”
Von der Leyen said on top of that, a new wave of EU reciprocal tariff measures were currently being put together in case current negotiations with the White House fell apart.
“We're now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail."
The EU is already finalising a tariffs package on up to 26 billion euros ($28.4 billion) of U.S. goods for mid-April in response to levies on steel and aluminium that started last month and is expected to impose further trade measures.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed von der Leyen’s comments, saying Europe would stage a united response to Trump’s latest trade volley if necessary.
"The EU has the strongest internal market in the world with 450 million consumers, which gives us the strength to hold talks with the US government to avert a trade war,"
Deutschland’s economy minister Robert Habeck went even further, saying his country will seek to find new trading partners to lessen what the EU has called a "major blow", mentioning both Canada and Mexico as potential trade partners.
