EU countries approves initial retaliatory measures against US tariffs

European Union member states on Wednesday backed the bloc's first package of retaliatory measures against US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The EU considers US tariffs "unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy," said the European Commission in a statement.

The European Commission proposed the retaliatory duties on Monday, setting most at 25 percent. The tariffs target a range of US imports in response to Washington's levies on steel and aluminum.

The list spans from agricultural to industrial products such as soybeans, poultry, tobacco, iron, motorcycles, dental floss, and both steel and aluminum. These goods totaled around 22 billion euros (US$24.36 billion) last year.

The tariffs will be introduced in three stages. The first set, on goods like cranberries and orange juice, will take effect April 15. A second round, covering items such as steel, meat, white chocolate, and polyethylene, will follow on May 16. The final phase, targeting almonds and soybeans, is scheduled for December 1.

The European Commission repeated its preference "to find negotiated outcomes with the US, which would be balanced and mutually beneficial."

"These countermeasures can be suspended at any time, should the US agree to a fair and balanced negotiated outcome," it said.