EU to respond to Trump’s trade war with tariffs on US whiskey, orange juice and peanut butter, Brussels announces

Cecilia Malmstrom said a provisional list of targets has been drawn up and is being shared with EU member states

The European Union is planning to levy tariffs on imports of US whiskey, peanut butter, cranberries and orange juice in retaliation to Donald Trump’s promised new imposts on steel imports, the Brussels trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, has confirmed.

Speaking to reporters in the Belgian capital, Ms Malmstrom said a provisional list of targets has been drawn up and is being shared with EU member states.

“Certain types of bourbon are on the list, as are other items such as peanut butter, cranberries, orange juice. Very soon that list will be public, so you will be able to plan your whiskey drinking,” she said.

This follows suggestions from the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, that the EU might target imports of Harley Davidson motorbikes and Levi’s jeans.

Last week, the US President announced plans for a 25 per cent levy on steel imports and 20 per cent levies on aluminium on the justification of national security concerns. Both moves are likely to impact EU metal exporters, including the UK.

Mr Trump subsequently tweeted that “trade wars are good and easy to win”.

The President’s top economic adviser Gary Cohn resigned on Tuesday, apparently having failed to dissuade Mr Trump from going ahead with the tariffs.

Separately on Wednesday, the European Council’s president, Donald Tusk, speaking in Luxembourg, lambasted the US move.

“Following the announcement of President Trump there is a risk of a serious trade dispute between the US and the rest of the world including the EU,” he said.

“President Trump has recently said ‘trade wars are good and easy to win’ but the truth is quite the opposite. Trade wars are bad and easy to lose. For this reason I strongly believe that now is the time for politicians on both sides of the Atlantic to act responsibly.”

The US tariffs have also been condemned by the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation.