EU trade ministers have agreed that US President Donald Trump's announcement of 30 per cent tariffs on the European Union was "absolutely unacceptable", and they are studying a new set of countermeasures to respond to the move. The ministers met Monday in Brussels following Trump's surprise announcement over the weekend of such hefty tariffs, which could have repercussions for governments, companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. The EU is America's biggest business partner and the world's largest trading bloc.

Maro' 'efcovic, the EU's trade representative in its talks with the US, said after the meeting that it was "very obvious from the discussions today, the 30 per cent is absolutely unacceptable". He said that the commission was sharing proposals with the 27 member countries "for the second list of goods accounting of some 72 billion euros (USD 84 billion) worth of US imports. They will now have a chance to discuss it. This does not exhaust our toolbox and every instrument remains on the table".

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, foreign minister of Denmark, which recently assumed the presidency of the EU, said the ministers vowed to work together in negotiating a trade deal with Washington or agreeing on countermeasures. "The EU remains ready to react and that includes robust and proportionate countermeasures if required and there was a strong, feeling in the room of unity," Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting.