Counter-counter-tariffs? Trump threatens to hit back against EU's retaliation

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to hit back against Europe's own retaliatory move to Washington's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

As the latest tariffs went into effect Wednesday, the European Union (EU) announced it would impose counter-tariffs on 26 billion euros ($28.33 billion) worth of U.S. goods starting in April.

Trump later said on Wednesday that he would respond to the countermeasures with additional levies, telling reporters that the White House will be "doing reciprocal tariffs so whatever they charge us with, we're charging them. Nobody can complain about that."

Asked if he would reciprocate, Trump said, while sitting alongside Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin, "Of course I'm going to respond."

"The problem is our country didn't respond [previously]," he said, repeating an earlier claim that the EU was "set up in order to take advantage of the United States" — which contradicts the stated purpose of the bloc to further regional interests.

Asked whether Ireland was also taking advantage of Washington, Trump replied "of course they are," as he bemoaned the U.S. "massive [trade] deficit" with Ireland that he blamed on the island's low corporate tax rates.

Data out in November from Ireland's statistics agency, the CSO, show Ireland's biggest goods trade surplus in 2023 was with the U.S., with which Dublin had a trading surplus of 31 billion euros over the period.

Trade imbalances are one of Trump's biggest gripes with international trading partners. While the president imposed tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada early into his second term in office, the EU has escaped targeted duties so far.

The bloc is firmly in his sights, however, with Trump threatening 25% of levies and lambasting