Europe says it has an arsenal for a trade war with the U.S.

The European Union (EU) and the UK have prepared retaliatory measures in case US President Donald Trump raises duties on goods from European countries. This was reported by Politico Europe on January 22.

"As for trade, Brussels and London have been practicing "military" scenarios for several months and have prepared an "arsenal of weapons" for a trade war if the need arises," the publication said.

According to the publication, officials hope that they will be able to convince Trump to refuse to impose "punitive tariffs" on European products. Nevertheless, if this happens, they are ready to apply retaliatory measures.

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On inauguration day, January 20, Trump announced plans to create the Foreign Revenue Service, which will regulate duties on goods imported into the United States.

Earlier, in December 2024, Trump threatened the EU with increased import duties if the union did not increase purchases of U.S. energy resources.

In November, The Washington Post reported that the trade duties that Trump is going to impose could cause serious damage to EU countries. It was specified that large European economies at the current moment are already lagging behind the United States as a result of the pandemic. According to economists, Trump's "protectionist measures" could cause further recession in Europe and complicate relations between allies.