Higher U.S. tariffs on the EU and other partners come into effect

New, higher import tariffs imposed by the United States on around 60 of its trading partners—including the European Union—came into force on Wednesday.
A 20% tariff has been applied to imports from the EU, while a 104% tariff has been imposed on goods from China. These new duties took effect on Wednesday at 7:01 a.m. Latvian time.
This move marks another step in U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy, which has sparked concerns of a potential global economic downturn.
As previously reported, a 10% U.S. import tariff on nearly all foreign goods took effect on April 5.
The EU has stated it will implement countermeasures but has also expressed readiness for negotiations with the U.S. Many countries around the world have also announced retaliatory measures.
China—Washington’s main economic rival and a major trade partner—has been hit hardest by the new tariffs. Since Trump’s return to the White House, Chinese products have faced tariffs now reaching 104%.
Initially, Trump imposed a 34% additional tariff on Chinese goods. However, after China responded with reciprocal tariffs on American goods, Trump added another 50% in duties.
Including tariffs announced in February and March, the cumulative increase in tariffs on Chinese goods during Trump’s second term now totals 104%.
Beijing has shown no signs of backing down, vowing to fight the trade war to the end and promising retaliatory steps to defend its interests.
On Thursday, China’s 34% counter-tariffs on U.S. goods are set to take effect.
Trump argues that his policy will restore America’s lost manufacturing base by pushing companies to relocate operations back to the U.S.
However, many business experts and economists question how quickly—or whether at all—this will happen, warning that higher tariffs could lead to inflation by raising consumer prices.
On Tuesday, Trump claimed the U.S. now collects nearly $2 billion daily from tariffs.
He also announced on Tuesday evening that the U.S. will soon introduce significant tariffs on pharmaceutical products.
Separately, Canada announced that its own tariffs on certain U.S. vehicle imports will also take effect on Wednesday.