The EU is prepared to target jeans, bourbon, and agriculture with retaliatory tariffs against America


The European Union is preparing to apply 25 percent tariffs on $3.5 billion worth of American goods in retaliation for President Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs, Bloomberg Politics reports. A number of products targeted on the EU's list seem especially chosen to put maximum pressure on lawmakers including bourbon whiskey, which comes from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) state, and jeans, with Levi Strauss' headquarters located in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) congressional district.
The EU tariffs would also target motorcycles, cosmetics, ladders, and T-shirts, as well as agricultural products and steel products. Even before the report about the EU tariffs, The New York Times estimated that more than 170,000 Americans could lose their jobs under Trump's tariff plan due to the higher cost of doing business.
Despite pressure from within his own party, Trump has publicly refused to compromise. "We're not backing down," he promised Monday. On Sunday, British Prime Minister Theresa May called to express her concerns about the U.S. sparking a trade war with the EU, and Trump privately said he had not reached a final decision yet, The New York Times reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Libya's 'curious' football cup, played in Italy to empty stadiums
Under The Radar 'Curious collaboration' saw Al-Ahli Tripoli crowned league champions in Milan before a handful of spectators
-
What taxes do you pay on a home sale?
The Explainer Some people — though not many — will need to pay capital gains taxes upon selling their home
-
Schools: The return of a dreaded fitness test
Feature Donald Trump is bringing the Presidential Fitness Test back to classrooms nationwide
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages