European Union in Podcasts

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. The European Union says it regrets President Trump's decision this week to double the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50 percent. An EU spokesperson says they will consider their own planned counter-tariffs unless an agreement between the EU and U.S. is reached. Trump says the U.S.

They added that this move also undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution, which was the reason the EU decided in April to hold off imposing its own tariffs. But now the spokesperson says the European Commission is finalizing its decisions on countermeasures and will put them into effect on July 14th or even earlier if, in their words, no mutually acceptable solution is reached.

Terry Schultz has more. A spokesperson for the European Union's executive says the bloc strongly regrets Trump's decision to raise tariffs on steel imports from 25 to 50 percent. The decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, the spokesperson said in a statement.