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EU in ‘early stages’ talks with US, but finalising list of countermeasures after steel and aluminium tariffs
Šefčovič says the EU is “in early stages of discussions” with the US, complicated “because the US view tariffs not as a tactical step, but as a corrective measure.”
But he says that “ while the EU remains open to and strongly prefers negotiations, we will not weigh endlessly until we see tangible progress.”
The EU has prepared a “robust list of countermeasures” on steel and aluminium after receiving feedback from over 600 stakeholders.
“After carefully reviewing all of it, we have worked to table a robust list of countermeasures, while balancing the burden across all member states, we will be sending the final list and tariff levels to them later today,
The vote is set for 9 April, with the final list adopted on 15 April, and then duties on products will kick in on that day for the first set of measures, and on 15 May for the remaining ones.”
Key events
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New US tariffs ‘force’ EU to look to respond
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EU in ‘early stages’ talks with US, but finalising list of countermeasures after steel and aluminium tariffs
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EU trade with US ‘in tough spot,’ EU trade commissioner says
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EU ‘ready to negotiate’ with US with offer of zero tariffs on industrial goods, but planning how to defend interests, von der Leyen says
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Marine Le Pen ruling is fuel for the global right’s attacks on court authority – analysis
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‘Eat, sleep and party’: a taste of La Dolce Vita aboard Italy’s Orient Express
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Thousands in Spain join nationwide march to protest against housing crisis
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Le Pen vows to fight ‘political’ ruling, as France’s main parties stage rival rallies
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‘Very aggressive and arbitrary’ US tariffs need united EU response, French minister says
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‘Is the US up for deal?,’ Ireland’s Harris asks
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Market turmoil ‘real indication of pain’ caused by tariffs, Ireland’s Harris says, as he dismisses calls for measures against US tech
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US tariffs calculations are ‘nonsense’, German economy minister says
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‘All options on table right now’ on countermeasures, Swedish trade minister says
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Talks on how to position Europe in response to ‘paradigm shift’ in global trade, EU commissioner says
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No tariffs like these for 100 years, Polish deputy economy minister says
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Germany’s Merz wants to ‘restore competitiveness’ as he fears further deterioration on markets
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Markets recording sharp falls across Europe
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No talks with Europe ‘unless they pay us a lot of money on yearly basis’, Trump says
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Spain to push for EU aid for industries hit by tariffs, minister says
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We need ‘calm, measured response’, Ireland’s minister says
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Morning opening: Forget markets for a second
EU trade commissioner Šefčovič says the EU’s timeline on countermeasures on steel and aluminium is driven by legal analysis.
But he adds “it is not possible now to delay the entry into force” as some countries, such as Italy, appeared to be asking for it.
“We expect the vote on Wednesday and if the vote is positive, then we will proceed with 15 April,” he says.
More broadly, he says “we are ready to consider all options.”
“All options are on the table, and we will consult with the stakeholders and with our member states, how to use all the instruments we have at our disposal,” he says.
Šefčovič gets asked about the proposed “zero-for-zero” tariff deal with the US, and the reception it got from the US.
The Slovak politician says it was floated in his first meeting with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
He says the US focus appears to be on “Big Five” areas: cars, pharmaceutical, metals, lumber and semiconductors.
Šefčovič says the EU was ready to change rules on personal vehicles and find a deal, with a “zero-for-zero” deal, and potentially extending it to other industrial products.
“I hope that in future we would be ready to come back to this discussion, not now. [but] I believe that in the future this would be still the possibility,” he says.
New US tariffs ‘force’ EU to look to respond
Šefčovič says that while the focus so far has been on finalising steel and aluminium countermeasures, the announcement of the new “so-called reciprocal tariffs … forces us to look at additional steps.”
“We got some valuable input from the member states, from the ministers, which we of course, evaluate, and we will proceed, as always, in the close consultations with our member states and with the key stakeholders,” he says.
EU in ‘early stages’ talks with US, but finalising list of countermeasures after steel and aluminium tariffs
Šefčovič says the EU is “in early stages of discussions” with the US, complicated “because the US view tariffs not as a tactical step, but as a corrective measure.”
But he says that “ while the EU remains open to and strongly prefers negotiations, we will not weigh endlessly until we see tangible progress.”
The EU has prepared a “robust list of countermeasures” on steel and aluminium after receiving feedback from over 600 stakeholders.
“After carefully reviewing all of it, we have worked to table a robust list of countermeasures, while balancing the burden across all member states, we will be sending the final list and tariff levels to them later today,
The vote is set for 9 April, with the final list adopted on 15 April, and then duties on products will kick in on that day for the first set of measures, and on 15 May for the remaining ones.”
EU trade with US ‘in tough spot,’ EU trade commissioner says
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič says that the EU’s trade situation with the US is “in a tough spot.”
He says that “70% of our total exports are facing tariffs of 20% of 25% or even higher.”
He acknowledges recent meetings with his US counterparts, as he says the two sides agree that “the EU-US trade relationship could benefit from a fresh look and a boost in strategic areas,” noting both markets “face similar challenges.”
He repeats von der Leyen’s comment from last half hour that the EU “we have offered zero for zero tariffs for cars and all industrial goods.”
Opening the briefing after the ministerial council on trade, Polish deputy economy minister Michał Baranowski says “the message that came out from the council is very much a message of unity.”
“It’s very clear that there are no winners, and this was something that was emphasised by all the member states. All of us would prefer a negotiated solution that takes us away from the potential trade war that can lead to a loss of jobs, lead to loss of wealth,” he says.
He says that the EU has a “prepared response” on steel and aluminium which will be put forward “soon”, but stressed that, at the moment the bloc is not focusing on “the so called reciprocal tariffs.”
He says he describes them as “so calls reciprocal tariffs” as “the methodology used by the US side is not yet entirely clear to us.”
EU ‘ready to negotiate’ with US with offer of zero tariffs on industrial goods, but planning how to defend interests, von der Leyen says
As we wait for the press conference after the ministerial meeting, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen shared her views on US tariffs, as she welcomed Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre to Brussels.
She said that the US tariffs “come … at immense costs for US consumers and businesses,” as she insisted the EU “stand ready to negotiate with the United States.”
“Europe is always ready for good deal. So we keep it on the table,” she said, adding the EU “offered zero for zero tariffs for industrial goods, … because Europe is always ready for good deal.”
But she added the EU was “also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests,” as it looked to step up its protection against “indirect effects [of] trade diversion.”
Von der Leyen said she engaged with key industrial stakeholders across the bloc to consult on next steps.
She also stressed that the EU should work on “strengthening our single market [by] getting rid of remaining barriers” in response to tariff disruptions.
Marine Le Pen ruling is fuel for the global right’s attacks on court authority – analysis
Ashifa Kassam
À propos Le Pen’s conviction in French courts and linked protests I reported on earlier today, my colleague Ashifa Kassam looked at how the ruling in this case proved to be fuel for the global right’s attacks on court authority.
The three-word message, launched minutes after the verdict came in, was succinct in its solidarity. “Je suis Marine!” Hungary’s Viktor Orbán posted on social media after Le Pen was found guilty of embezzling European parliament funds and barred immediately from running for public office.
Messages soon came tumbling in from Brazil to Belgium, hinting at how rightwing nationalist and populist leaders had seized on the ruling to push their own narrative.
Most of them paid little heed to the judges’ finding of the key role Le Pen and more than two dozen others had played in a scam that prosecutors alleged had diverted more than €4m (£3.4m) of European parliament funds to benefit the party.
As France reeled from the political upheaval, opponents of liberal democracy jumped at the chance to peddle their claims that some justice systems are being used as a blunt tool to silence the will of the people.
Legal experts pushed back against the claims. “The decision is extremely well reasoned, the court handed down a judgment that seems to me implacable on its merits and without any real possible dispute,” said Mathieu Carpentier, a law professor at Toulouse Capitole University, citing the more than 150-page ruling delivered by the three judges.
“If Madame Le Pen had not broken the law, she would not have been convicted.”
It was a point that leaders in countries such as the US, Russia and Hungary – all of whom have faced accusations of undermining their country’s judiciary – were seemingly content to overlook.
Full story:
Jakub Krupa
Just an update on timings: the press conference after the EU’s trade ministerial meeting is now scheduled for 3.15pm CEST.
I will bring you all the key updates here when it happens.
‘Eat, sleep and party’: a taste of La Dolce Vita aboard Italy’s Orient Express
Angela Giuffrida
And now for something truly magical: a replica of the world-famous Orient Express made its debut journey from Rome on Friday, transporting well-heeled passengers into the heart of Tuscany’s wine region.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the first Italian-made luxury train, is aimed at reviving the glamour of the classic version as well as the romanticised notion of Italy’s dolce vita, or “sweet life”, all the while promoting slow tourism.
The train, the first of a fleet of six, is made up of 12 refurbished carriages that once chugged along Italian rail tracks in the 1960s and which have been decked out with 18 suites, 12 deluxe cabins, a bar, a lounge and a restaurant serving haute cuisine by the Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.
The itinerary is one of eight that collectively cover 14 Italian regions, from Veneto and Liguria in the north to Basilicata and Sicily in the south. On Friday afternoon passengers travelled along the coast, passing the seaside towns of Santa Severa and Santa Marinella before gliding through the countryside of Tuscan, where by early evening they could sip locally made Brunello wine as part of the aperitivo.
As an option, they could disembark and be taken to the hilltop town of Montalcino before returning to the Dolce Vita for their evening meal and entertainment. The train, which also passes through Florence and Pisa, completes its loop back to Rome on Saturday morning.
Full story:
Thousands in Spain join nationwide march to protest against housing crisis
Stephen Burgen
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Spain over the weekend in the latest protest against housing speculation and to demand access to affordable homes.
Organisers claim that up to 150,000 joined the protest in Madrid while smaller demonstrations were held in about 40 cities across the country. Protesters from Málaga on the Costa del Sol to Vigo in the Atlantic northwest chanted “end the housing racket” and “landlords are guilty, the government is responsible”.
Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the Madrid tenants’ union, called for rent strikes such as those mounted recently in some Catalan coastal towns.
The union says 1.4m Spanish households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, 200,000 families more than 10 years ago.
Housing has become the number one social issue in Spain as a combination of property speculation and tourist apartments have driven the cost of rented housing beyond the reach of all but the most wealthy.
Full story:
Le Pen vows to fight ‘political’ ruling, as France’s main parties stage rival rallies
Jon Henley
The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has told supporters in Paris on Sunday she would fight “a political, not a judicial ruling” that could bar her from the next presidential election, as a rival rally denounced an “existential threat” to the rule of law after her conviction for embezzling public funds.
Speaking from a temporary stage in front of the Hôtel des Invalides with the party’s 120 members of parliament behind her, Le Pen said she would “not give up” and was the victim of a “witch-hunt.”
But speaking at a leftwing rally a few kilometres away on the Place de la République, the Green party leader, Marine Tondelier, said Le Pen’s defence amounted to “a total conspiracy theory” and a full-blown attack on judicial independence.
Police said 7,000 people were at the RN rally – several thousand fewer than the party had hoped for – and about 5,000 at the leftwing rival.
The three-time presidential candidate and frontrunner to succeed Emmanuel Macron was found guilty on Monday of embezzling more than €4m (£3.4m) of European parliament funds to pay RN party workers in France through a vast fake jobs scam.
The Paris appeals court has said it will deliver a verdict on her case by next summer, potentially allowing her to contest the 2027 presidential race if her conviction is overturned, which is seen as unlikely, or the ban on running for public office lifted.
The ruling, which followed a 10-year investigation and a nine-week trial, has dramatically shaken up the political landscape and been fiercely attacked by far-right politicians in France and beyond as politically motivated and anti-democratic.
Full story:
Jakub Krupa
As the ministerial talks continue behind the closed doors, let’s take a look at other events across Europe.
‘Very aggressive and arbitrary’ US tariffs need united EU response, French minister says
French minister delegate for trade Laurent Saint-Martin also criticises “very aggressive and arbitrary” trade measures adopted by US president Donald Trump as he says France “prefers cooperation to confrontation.”
“Our end goal remains the same, to negotiate this escalation and negotiate back to where things were, and if it’s not possible, of course, European Union must react, must react firmly and must react proportionately,” he says.
He also stresses the need for Europe to remain united.
‘Is the US up for deal?,’ Ireland’s Harris asks
Ireland’s Harris continues:
“This is a trading relationship that matters, and Europe has been very clear: we’re up for a deal.
President von der Leyen has talked about wanting to address any of the trade barriers that exist, wanting to buy more stuff from the United States and vice versa. We’re up for a deal.
I suppose the outstanding question is, is the United States up for one?”
Market turmoil ‘real indication of pain’ caused by tariffs, Ireland’s Harris says, as he dismisses calls for measures against US tech
Irish foreign and trade minister Simon Harris says that it is “becoming abundantly clear now to anybody who was under any illusion in relation to this is that tariffs are really bad” for the US, for Europe and for Ireland.
“We need to find a negotiated way forward,” he says, calling for a “de-escalation.”
“I think the turmoil being seen in global stock markets and global markets is a real indication of the pain that tariffs are causing and will cause, not just to economies in some sort of macro sense, but also to individual citizens in Europe and individual people in the United States of America,” he says.
Harris also very pointedly rejects calls for measures targeting US tech and digital services.
He says that “if you were to get into that space, it would be an extraordinary escalation at a time when we must be working for a de-escalation.”
“The European Commission, and I believe the overwhelming majority of member states [do not want] to get into tit for tat, it’s not to accept that where we are now is the inevitable outcome, and actually seek to engage and I really think economics is on our side here,” he says.
He adds that he will travel to Washington for further talks with US representatives on Tuesday.
Habeck also repeatedly warns against individual countries’ interests overshadowing the need for a united EU response.
He says:
“The stock markets are already collapsing and the damage could become even greater. It is therefore important … to act clearly and decisively and prudently, which means realising that we are in a strong position. America is in a position of weakness …
If every country is counted individually, and we have a problem here with red wine and there with whisky and pistachios, then it will all come to nothing.”