EU Considers Retaliatory Measures in Trade Dispute with U.S.

According to Odaily, a senior official has warned that the European Union must present a credible threat of retaliation if it wants to secure a favorable agreement in the ongoing trade conflict initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. Two EU officials revealed that Seibert, the chief of staff to the President of the European Commission, informed EU ambassadors last week, following the conclusion of the G7 summit, that the prospect of a strong response could persuade the U.S. President to reduce the high tariffs imposed on the EU. German Chancellor Merz also hinted that his government would support tougher measures. On Tuesday, he stated, "If no agreement is reached, we are prepared to use various options. We can and will defend our interests." Seibert told the ambassadors that European Commission President von der Leyen is ready to escalate negotiations to secure a better deal. He urged them to support a package of tariffs on 95 billion euros worth of U.S. goods and mentioned that the European Commission is also preparing measures targeting the services sector, including taxing U.S. tech companies and restricting American firms' access to public procurement contracts. One official noted that the message conveyed was, "We need to leverage a credible rebalancing plan."