EU tariffs on US to be expanded to toilet paper and cosmetics

As trade disputes have not made substantial progress, the EU and the US are expected to maintain their original tariff plans. EU retaliation will continue to increase, targeting hundreds of US products such as toilet paper, soybeans, eye makeup, tobacco, etc.

After a two-hour meeting with US Commerce Secretary Lutnick and Trade Representative Greer in Washington on April 14, EU Trade Affairs Director Šefčović revealed that the US position is still unclear and it is difficult for the EU to judge its specific goals.

The Trump administration suspended tariff countermeasures against trading partners including the EU last week, and the EU subsequently suspended countermeasures originally scheduled to take effect on April 15 for 90 days to allow time for further negotiations.

On the afternoon of April 9, the 27 EU member states adopted countermeasures to impose a 25% tariff on some US imports in retaliation for the Trump administration's announcement of steel and aluminum tariffs on the EU a month ago. The measures will be levied in three phases: the first round will start on April 15, the second part will start on May 15, and the rest will start on December 1. The list of the second phase - tariffs on cars and retaliatory measures for the comprehensive "reciprocal tariffs" announced on April 2 - will be announced soon.

Specifically, the EU originally planned to impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth 21 billion euros, especially from states that support the Republican Party, including soybeans, almonds, yachts and dozens of other commodities grown in large quantities in Louisiana, the home state of House Speaker Johnson. The US Congress will hold mid-term elections in early November 2026, and whether the Republican Party can continue to hold the advantage of legislative power is crucial for Trump to implement policies.

According to the customs code list, the EU's export tariffs on deep red states in the United States will be as high as $13.5 billion, including beef from Kansas and Nebraska, cigarettes from Florida, and wood products from North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Previously, there were calls within the EU to target US technology companies and banks in the future. Henna Virkkunen, the chief official responsible for technology regulation, confirmed that other measures are being prepared.

Since the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" of the United States came into effect, about 70% of EU exports to the United States (worth 382 billion euros) have been affected. Trump shouted to the EU on the evening of April 7: It must commit to buying $350 billion worth of US energy in order to obtain tariff reductions from the United States.

The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, predicted on Monday that the aforementioned 400 US products may face higher tariffs from mid-July. Another about 1,300 products may be hit by high import taxes at the same time or at a later stage.

It is reported that the top five US exports to Europe are oil and gas, medicines and pharmaceuticals, aerospace products and parts, medical equipment and supplies, and automobiles, while soybeans are the largest agricultural product export of the United States to the region. Motorcycles and soybeans appear on the EU list, both of which are threatened with a 25% tariff. Other potential targets include tree nuts such as almonds and fresh fruits.

French Prime Minister Bayrou said on Tuesday that Trump launched a global trade war overnight without warning, and the United States' trading partners are being forced to take dangerous retaliatory measures, thus triggering a hurricane whose consequences will last for a long time.

The EU dropped its plan to target American bourbon after lobbying by major wine-producing countries France, Italy and Ireland, which feared their wine and spirits industries would be hit by Trump's 200% tariffs.