- Trade & Market Access
Europe’s industrial leaders deeply regret U.S. administration’s decision to impose tariffs
Brussels, 03 April 2025: The European Round Table for Industry deeply regrets the Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs, as it will have an intensely disruptive effect on the prosperity of citizens, companies and the global economy. The consequences of this development will reveal themselves quickly and will resonate across many different facets of industry, services and international cooperation.
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The transatlantic economic relationship brings real benefits* to both Europe and the United States. European companies and their affiliates directly employ an estimated 5.3 million Americans. The U.S. and Europe are each other’s main source and destination of foreign direct investment (FDI).
With its cross-sectoral Membership, ERT has a helicopter view of many of the different sectors implicated. ERT urges both the U.S. and EU to find a way back to the negotiating table. Dialogue is the only way to find a solution that removes these tariffs and prevents further damage and the risk of further escalation.
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A full list of the membership of ERT is accessible here.
*source: The Transatlantic Economy 2025, Annual Survey of Jobs, Trade & Investment between the United States and Europe, by Daniel S. Hamilton and Joseph P. Quinlan, commissioned by AmChamEU.
The EU and the U.S. are not just trading partners; our economies are deeply connected. This latest move by the U.S. administration disrupts a longstanding relationship that is genuinely mutually beneficial, it risks undoing a lot of industrial cooperation and the resulting uncertainty will disrupt businesses — big and small — and harm workers and consumers in the EU, the U.S and around the world. As challenging as it may be, this is a moment to take stock of how this relationship can be reset.
European companies have long been attracted to the U.S. market and invested hugely in every sense. We regret the U.S. administration’s decision to impose new trade tariffs and it marks a shift in the transatlantic relationship that no-one can ignore. It is essential that the European Union takes a united and pragmatic approach. Escalation to a broader trade war would be in no one’s interest. We trust more constructive avenues will quickly prevail so that the damage of such protectionist measures is as short-lived as possible.