Altmaier told German TV on Friday, according to Reuters: “We tried to do it through negotiation and we will now do it by standing together and formulating a common European answer, possibly working more closely with Mexico and Canada.”

What the US says

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who announced the tariffs, said on Thursday that there was “nothing weird” about the countries’ reactions, and that they “will get over that in due course.” EU leaders agreed earlier in May to open discussions about market access for U.S. products, but only if Washington grants the EU a permanent exemption from tariffs. The EU had demanded a permanent exemption from the tariffs following a temporary one being granted in April, but the plea has been rejected by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the move as “totally unacceptable” and an “affront to the thousands of Canadians who have fought and died alongside their American brothers in arms.”

He also described the tariff impositions as “illegal and counterproductive” under NAFTA and WTO rules, and that Trump’s national security justification was “simply ridiculous.”

Trudeau added that Canada would impose “dollar for dollar tariffs” on US products, including steel and aluminum from July 1, which would remain in place until the US lifted its own tariffs. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has threatened to hit back at the US with EU tariffs on equal value, telling reporters on Thursday: “It’s totally unacceptable that a country is imposing unilateral measures when it comes to world trade.”

The EU previously released a list of US products that would be subject to tariffs in the event the metal restrictions went into effect. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters that Canada’s retaliatory tariffs were “strongest action by Canada in the post-War era.”

Mexico: Let’s keep it in proportion. A French presidential adviser said “nothing very positive” had come out of recent efforts to stop the U.S. tariffs, adding: “If that’s the American decision, the European response will be firm,” mentioning counter-measures on selected U.S. products.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker vows "counterbalancing measures" from the EU soon. The EU is expected to respond with tariffs on a little more than US$3 billion worth of American goods including motorcycles, bourbon, and blue jeans. Juncker also says that the EU will proceed with a case against the US in the World Trade Organization. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross replies that the EU measures are "unlikely" to have much impact on the US economy.