The announcement of Trump President last week that he will impose a 20 % tariff on the goods coming from the European Union, sent shock waves in a 27-state block, which is the latest move in the war in development that separates close partners.

This week, Europe will encourage forward with its first countermother – one of the potentially several to come.

EU officials have spent the last few weeks implementing a list of retaliation tariffs planning to establish April 15. They show that the states of foreign states and trade states are their proposals in Luxembourg on MondayAnd the vote on the list is expected on Wednesday.

These tariffs would come in response to the collection of steel and aluminum that Washington had announced earlier, and is expected to sweep; Preliminary list covered everything From whiskey and motorcycles to boats and soybeans. But they would be just the beginning, the introductory offer in the response of Europe on Mr. Trump’s tariff charity.

European officials work on additional reply plans car tariffs which were announced at the end of March and to A 20 percent tariff that Mr. Trump announced last week.

EU leaders are hitting the stage for two reasons. First, it took them time to have digestives the announcement that came from the White House, hoping to devise a response that would cause maximum pain to the United States, at the same time a minimizing relegation of European consumers and companies.

They also hope that in the phase of their response they will give Trump’s administration of time to reach the negotiating table. The ultimate goal is still a contract to avoid comprehensive trade war.

“The EU is dedicated to significant negotiations, but it was also preparing to defend our interests,” wrote Maros Sefcovic, a Block Trade Commissioner, on social networks on Friday night after he described as if he described “Frank”, a two -hour meeting with his American colleagues.

As the trade conflict warms up, the role is high. The European Union is one of the most important in America a trade partners. and the United States are by far the largest export market for European goods.

Considering this close relationship, hitting US tariffs is likely to be a painful exercise, which also costs European companies and consumers, increasing prices on tariff goods.

European officials are aware that escalating trade war could be painful on both sides of the Atlantic. Because of this, they arranged lists: officials wanted to consider feedback from the entire continent.

Part of the list originally included whiskey tariffs should initially be caught on March 31 but has been delayed for further training after Mr. Trump threatened to respond to it by slap 200 -forthcoming tariff on all European alcohol coming to the United States. Such a move would be demolished for French and Italian winemakers.

The delay followed after officials – including from France – He suggested that hitting whiskey and causing American retaliation on alcohol would be the wrong step.

This episode emphasized the challenge in maintaining the company and the United Front in responding to the tariffs. Countries on the entire continent have different economic priorities and various appetites to return to the United States.

Some countries in the northern European state were convincing that the European Union must be strong in its response, but Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the idea that Italy must choose between the United States and the block “childish. “She also has warned against Sharp retaliation.

EU officials on the beginning hoped that they would completely avoid a trade conflict.

They spent last fall and early this year Visna carrot -After Ramn buying of American liquid natural gas-undercuts of his American colleagues, hoping to avoid the showdown.

But that strategy failed. Instead, Washington took a far more aggressive move than many analysts and officials expected. Because of this, European policy creators raced to think of a plan.

It is significant that European leaders are considering returning to US services – and especially in major technological companies like Google doing a huge amount of EU business.

Several European diplomats have said that the targeting of technological companies is a distinct possibility if trade war is escalated and a French official It made it clear In public remarks last week that internet services could be first on cross -haired hairs.

Still, the right goal is to deal.

Elon Musk, Technology Entrepreneur and Mr. Trump’s close advisor, said on Saturday He hoped that Europe and the United States were moving “into a situation with zero-tariff, effectively creating a free trade zone”, speaking while performing with video confessions from the end of the right-wing league in Italy, Florence.

European officials have showed a willingness Reduce tariffs to cars and other products, so lower duties in at least some sectors are the possibility if the United States are ready to talk.

But resolution can take time. On Sunday, Scott Besense, Minister of Treasury, said during a television interview that trade partners’ problems are not “a kind of thing you can negotiate in days or weeks.”