The American products set to become 25% more expensive from today

The EU has put tariffs on American goods as part of a trade war with Donald Trump

Jon Stone
Europe Correspondent
Friday 22 June 2018 13:35 BST
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Liam Fox attacks 'unjustified' and 'worrying' Trump's tariffs

From today the European Union has imposed tariffs on US goods, in retaliation to Donald Trump imposing tariffs on EU steel and aluminium importers.

The tariffs are almost all 25 per cent – meaning anyone who wants to import these products from the US to the EU will have to pay a 25 per cent tax.

That will probably make the American versions of these goods more expensive for consumers, though not necessarily straight away (if old stock is already held), and not necessarily by 25 per cent (companies could absorb some of the cost to remain competitive).

The list of goods is long and technical, but the main items are:

Orange juice

Florida orange juice is about to get a lot more expensive – fortunately plenty of places in Europe grow oranges, so alternatives will be available.

Cranberry juice

Fans of the Cosmopolitan cocktails, which contain cranberry juice, may have to pay more.

Donald Trump on trade tariffs: 'the European Union has not treated us well'

Peanut butter

(iStock

A classic American food, if you want an American brand for your PB&J it’s going to be more expensive.

Bourbon whiskey

(Getty Images

The classic Kentucky tipple; other non-bourbon whiskey from the US are also affected. Brands like Jack Daniels and Jim Beam could be directly affected.

Cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco

(Getty

Most American cigarette brands sold in Europe are manufactured locally, so are unlikely to be directly affected – though imported brands will be. But some tobacco is also covered, so raw materials could also be affected.

Mascara and other eye makeup

Any Made in USA make-up will likely get 25% more expensive. American brands like Maybelline and Revlon do make some of their make-up in the USA, but not necessarily when they sell to Europe.

Jeans

(Getty Images/iStockphoto

An American classic, high-end jeans made in the USA will get expensive. Most jeans sold in Europe will be made in Asia, however, including a few famous American brans.

Steel

Tata has contacted 190 potential financial and industrial investors worldwide as it looks for a purchaser for its UK steel plants, including the loss-making site in Port Talbot

Tit-for-tat; following Trump’s tariffs on European steel, a long list of US-steel products will be affected in response.

Motorcycles

(Getty

If you’ve always dreamed of buying an easy-riding Made in the USA motorbike, it’s going to be more expensive than you thought. Many American badged bikes aren’t entirely made there though – the motor industry uses components from all over and whether a particular model is affected is complicated.

Motorboats and yachts

(Getty Images/iStockphoto

The ultimate big ticket item, American-made boats – including motorboats and yachts – are going to get a lot more expensive. Unlikely to affect most people, but bad news for CEOs.

Playing cards

(REUTERS/Vladimir Konstantinov

The last item on the list, and perhaps a strange one. Unlike most other products, which are hit at 25 per cent, the EU has decided to put a 10 per cent tariff on American playing cards. This is the EU playing its hand.

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