The latest news on USA and the European Union: The European Union is announcing "countermeasures" against the United States if Donald Trump's government makes good on its latest threat to impose a 30% tariff on all imports from the European bloc.
Trade ministers from each EU member state met in Brussels on Monday to discuss President Trump's ultimatum issued over the weekend, and agreed to take a united stance against them.
EU trade representative Maros Sefcovic said at the end of the meeting: "I am absolutely 100% sure that a negotiated solution is much better than the tension we could have after 1 August, but we must be prepared for any outcome."
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, foreign minister of Denmark, which currently holds the EU presidency, reinforced the same message: "The EU remains ready to react, including strong and proportionate countermeasures if necessary, and there was a strong sense of unity in the room."
Trump's foreign policy not only undermines strategic security and cooperation relations between European governments and the US, it will also seriously affect thousands of businesses that operate importing and exporting goods between the two blocs.