The European Union has launched what it called "a series of countermeasures" in response to the US tariffs of up to 25% on steel and aluminium imports that began on Wednesday.
Canada later responded with its own tit-for-tat levies but the UK chose not to respond for now.
US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs, which also include metal products such as machinery, gym equipment, furniture, wire, tin foil and some electrical appliances, will affect a total of €26 billion of EU exports, which is around 5% of total exports to the US from the bloc, which is calculated to result in US companies paying up to €6 billion in additional import taxes.
Boats, bourbon and bikes
Brussels said its response is "swift and proportionate... designed to defend European interests", reviving previously suspended retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth €6.4 billion from 1 April.
The EU is also planning a new package of countermeasures, targeting a further €18 billion of US exports, though said a two-week consultation with European businesses will be held first to determine the final list of affected products.
EU tariffs starting on 1 April will be applied on products ranging "from boats to bourbon to motorbikes", it said.
"The objective is to ensure that the total value of the EU measures corresponds to the increased value of trade impacted by the new US tariffs," the EC said in a statement, with the consultation designed to "ensure that the right products are chosen for inclusion in the new countermeasures, ensuring an effective and proportionate response that keeps disruption to EU businesses and consumers to a minimum".
UK holds fire
The UK has decided not to make an immediate response, with Downing Street in talks with the US administration to make the case for the UK to be exempt from proposed tariffs.
Trade and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the UK should avoid a knee-jerk response.
"We think the right response is to continue pragmatically, cool-headedly, without a knee-jerk response, but toward our economic agreement that we’re negotiating with the US to secure, because that’s in the best interests of the UK," he told Sky News.
But UK Steel director general Gareth Stace said: "Today’s imposition of tariffs on UK steel from the US administration is hugely disappointing."
He said President Trump "must surely recognise that the UK is an ally, not a foe" and the British steel sector is "not a threat to the US, but a partner to key customers".
Alasdair McDiarmid, at steelworkers union Community, says the tariffs "are hugely damaging and they threaten jobs. For the US it’s also self-defeating, as the UK is a leading supplier of specialist steel products required by their defence and aerospace sectors."
Tariffs, eh?
Canada confirmed its tariff response will start from midnight tonight, imposing 25% tariffs on close to $29.8 billion of imports from its neighbour.
Finance minister Dominic LeBlanc told media the government was "following a dollar for dollar approach", including tariffs on steel products worth $12.6 billion.
"The list of additional products affected by counter-tariffs includes computers, sports equipment and cast iron products, as examples," he said.