European Union to put countermeasures to U.S. tariffs on hold for 90 days

The European Union will pause the adoption of its retaliatory tariffs on a swathe of U.S. goods for 90 days, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, a day after the White House issued a reprieve on most of its own levies.

On Wednesday, EU members voted in favor of the package, which was designed in response to the U.S. 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum launched last month. The duties were due to be finalized in the coming days, with an initial tranche set to come into effect on April 15. The full list of targeted items has not yet been published, though a draft document seen by CNBC in March listed products spanning clothing, poultry, grains, machinery and more.

“We took note of the announcement by President Trump. We want to give negotiations a chance,” von der Leyen said on Thursday.

“If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in. Preparatory work on further countermeasures continues. As I have said before, all options remain on the table.”

As well as Trump’s duties on steel, aluminum and autos, the EU was hit with a 20% U.S. tariff rate on almost all goods as part of the sweeping duties announced last week.

Trump on Wednesday jolted markets when he revealed the reduction of new tariff rates on imports from most U.S. trade partners to 10% for 90 days to allow for trade negotiations.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.