EU to monitor imports for tariff evasion

Following the implementation of tariffs by the United States, the European Union has decided to establish a task force on import monitoring to control possible evasion of duties. This announcement was made by Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission. She added that the EU remains open to negotiations with the US.

Von der Leyen noted that the bloc previously offered to zero out tariffs on industrial products, including cars, if the US does the same. However, Washington did not go for it.

Peter Navarro, a trade advisor at the White House, described the EU’s proposal to reduce tariffs as "a good small start." At the same time, he expressed dissatisfaction with the region's introduction of a value-added tax.

Von der Leyen stated that the new import monitoring task force will look at historical trade data and monitor potential spikes in imports of certain products in sectors that need attention.