EU member states overwhelmingly approved retaliatory duties worth €22 billion on US goods on Wednesday, as global trade tensions soar following Donald Trump’s sweeping levies on US imports.
26 of the bloc’s 27 member states voted to impose “rebalancing” duties of between 10-25% on a range of American products, including tobacco, motorcycles, poultry, steel, and aluminium.
Only Hungary, whose leader Viktor Orbán is a staunch Trump ally, voted against the tariffs.
A ‘qualified majority’ of member states – or 15 countries representing 65% of the bloc’s population – was required to vote against the duties to prevent them entering into force.
The tariffs, which come in response to Trump’s introduction of 25% levies on steel and aluminium last month, will be phased in over three stages this year.