| EU Says It Will React to U.S. Steel Tariff Hikes | |
| Last Updated: March 05, 2002 06:38 AM ET --> |
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| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union said on Tuesday it would react if the United States imposes tariffs on steel imports. "(European Commission) President Prodi has written to the U.S. president...expressing serious concerns about the situation, pointing out that if the U.S. administration takes measures against imports, particularly if it imposes tariffs on imports, the European Union will have no choice but to react," Commission spokesman Jonathan Faull told a news briefing. The Washington Post reported that President Bush, facing a Wednesday deadline, had decided to impose tariffs of up to 30 percent on steel imports to help the financially struggling U.S. steel industry rebuild. Faull said the Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, had not had confirmation of the report and expressed hope that Washington would not impose tariffs. "There is absolutely no doubt that any measures which restrict trade will have an impact on our relations with the United States," Faull said, adding that the EU hoped to avoid confrontation with Washington on the issue. "It's in our interests, it's in the Americans' interests and it's in the interests of the world as a whole that EU-U.S. trade friction should be kept to a minimum. We are not seeking confrontation," the spokesman said. |
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