EU to outline response to Trump tariffs by end of April

The European Union will respond to the new tariffs set to be announced by the United States Wednesday "before the end of April", the French government spokeswoman said after a cabinet meeting.

"There will be two responses. The first, which will take place in mid-April, is a response to the tariffs already decided on steel and aluminium," government spokeswoman Sophie Primas said. "Then, there will be a detailed study, sector by sector, and a European decision should be announced before the end of April, in a coordinated, united, and strong way."

Germany meanwhile warned that trade wars hurt "both sides" as Europe's biggest economy braces for U.S. President Donald Trump to announce wide-ranging new "Liberation Day" tariffs.

"The costs of a trade war do not fall on one side but can become expensive for both sides," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said, while adding that Berlin was "ready and willing to negotiate at the European level with the United States" to avoid such a dispute.