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EU Eyes Tariffs on $23 Billion of U.S. Goods If Trump Taxes Cars

  • Risk of trade-war escalation amid parallel push for accord
  • Bloc renews warning to Washington of tit-for-tat retaliation
Shipping containers at the Port of New Orleans.

Shipping containers at the Port of New Orleans.

Photographer: Alex Flynn/Bloomberg
Updated on

The European Union is prepared to hit 20 billion euros ($22.7 billion) of U.S. goods with tariffs should President Donald Trump follow through on a threat to impose duties on EU cars and auto parts, said a senior trade official for the bloc.

The assertion by Jean-Luc Demarty, director general for trade in the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, highlights the risk of a sudden escalation in trans-Atlantic commercial tensions following a truce struck six months ago.