2018.06.0104:44:00UTC+00U.S. Allies Retaliate Against Trump Administration’s Steel, Aluminum Tariffs

Canada and Mexico retaliated against America's move to impose additional duties on steel and aluminum imports and the European Union had its own countermeasures prepared, reviving concerns of a global trade war.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the tariffs in a telephone briefing on Thursday. The move ends months of uncertainty regarding possible exemptions and indicated a toughening of the Trump administration's stance on trade negotiations.

Ross told reporters that a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports will be imposed on the EU, Canada and Mexico from midnight on Friday.

The measures, which were first announced by President Donald Trump in March, received criticism from Republican lawmakers and the nation's top lobbying group. It also affected global financial markets.

Canada and Mexico, currently engaged in talks with the US to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement immediately responded to the announcement. Canada, the biggest supplier of steel to America, said it will impose tariffs covering C$16.6 billion on imports from the U.S. It will include whiskey, orange juice, steel, aluminum and other products, according to Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

In a news conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized the decision made by the Trump administration and was clearly going to result in retaliatory measures.

Mexico announced what it called an “equivalent” measures on a wide range of U.S. farm and industrial products. The measures target pork legs, apples, grapes and cheese as well as steel and other products, which will be implemented until the U.S. government removes the tariffs, according to Mexico's Economy Ministry.

The EU threatened tariffs on Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon, measures aimed at the political bases of U.S. Republican lawmakers.