Brussels is set to hit back at Donald Trump’s steel tariffs by hiking charges on a vast array of exports to the US – including the kitchen sink.
The US President has fired off the first salvos of a trade war by laying out plans to impose tariffs on goods heading for America, even from the country’s closest allies.
Theresa May has joined political leaders from around the world to urge the US President not to go ahead with his protectionist plan.
But Mr Trump has rejected their plea, prompting the EU to draw up plans to hit back by slapping higher charges on a range of US exports heading to Europe.
This will include new 25 per cent charges on yachts, peanut butter lipstick, bed linen, motorbikes and trousers.
The EU Commission (which is headed by Jean-Claude Juncker, pictured) has dran up plans to hit back at the US with 25% trade tariffs
And it will also slap the charge on goods in the industrial sector – including tubes, pipes and rolled steels.
And it will include appliances such as grills, ventilators, ladders – and even the kitchen sink.
Together the total value of the target is estimated to be 2.83 billion euros – the equivalent of £2.53 billion, according to the Politico website.
EU commissioners are set to discuss the plans for the fleet of tariffs today, and they will be rolled out if Mr Trump goes ahead with the restrictions he announced last week.
The products targeted have been carefully selected so as not to harm EU industries, which do not need the imports.
While some targets appear to clearly target politically sensitive Republican-run states.
The move comes as Mr Trump’s top economics adviser, Gary Cohn, quit in protest at the tariff plan.
Mr Cohn, who headed the National Economic Council and worked at Goldman Sachs, was seen as a crucial moderating influence on the President.
And he was a key proponent of free trade – as opposed to the nationalist and protectionist voices in the White House.
Donald Trump, pictured in the White House yesterday, said he is imposing tariffs on EU goods because current trade has been ‘very unfair’ to the US – but he has face massive opposition from his allies and lost a key adviser in the White House over the plan
His departure will fuel concerns that the US President will stick to his protectionist ‘America First’ plan – despite the opposition of Britain and other allies.
At a press conference yesterday, Mr Trump said: ‘The United States has been taken advantage of by other countries, both friendly and not so friendly, for many, many decades, and we have a trade deficit of $800bn per year, and that’s not going to happen with me.’
He said: ‘The European Union has been particularly tough on the United States. They make it almost impossible to do business with them, and yet they send their cars and everything else back into the United States.
‘They can do whatever they like but if they do that, then we put a big tax of 25 per cent on their cars and believe me, they won’t be doing it very long.’
He went on: ‘The European Union has not treated us well and it’s been a very, very unfair trade situation.
‘One of the reasons I was elected is I’m protecting our workers, I’m protecting our companies, and I’m not going to let that happen.’