Donald Trump has threatened a 100 percent tariff on goods from any country that imposes a digital services tax on American technology firms, declaring it would supersede signed trade deals and reopening a dispute that pits Washington against France and much of Europe.
On 1 July 2026 the EU replaces its expiring steel safeguard with a tougher tariff-rate-quota regime. Tariff-free imports fall to about 18.3 million tonnes a year, a roughly 47% cut versus 2024, and the duty above quota doubles from 25% to 50% across 30 product categories. Brussels frames it as a response to record Chinese-driven overcapacity. Mills like ArcelorMittal are restarting idled furnaces, but downstream fabricators warn of higher input costs.
On 19 May the European Parliament approved a new safeguard regime that cuts tariff-free steel imports by almost half and doubles the duty on the rest. ArcelorMittal, headquartered in Luxembourg, says the measure is already resetting the industry's outlook.
After 25 years of negotiation, the EU's free-trade agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay started applying provisionally on 1 May 2026, cutting tariffs on cars, pharmaceuticals and most agri-food.
On 13 April 2026, Trump escalated his China-tariff threats to 50%, citing reports that Beijing planned arms shipments to Iran. The threat sits on top of an existing 30% combined rate and a previously announced 100% tier.
The 20 February 2026 ruling struck down Trump's 2025 IEEPA-based tariffs on China and others, forcing the administration to rebuild its trade-war architecture under Section 122, 232 and 301 of US trade law.