Do you really buy the narrative and reasoning? Or are you just impressed that he's willing to take bold action? I'm genuinely curious.
Both actually.
Honestly why should tariffs be a one way street. The EU tariffs US farm produce to death so why can't the USA join in the game??
In may cases Trump is being overly generous.
From Grok:
The European Union (EU) applies a range of tariffs on U.S. farm produce, and these rates vary significantly depending on the specific product. The EU uses the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) tariff rates under the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework for U.S. goods, as there is no comprehensive free trade agreement between the U.S. and EU to eliminate or broadly reduce these tariffs. Here’s a breakdown based on available data:
General Agricultural Tariffs: The EU’s average applied MFN tariff for agricultural products is around 8.4% to 13.7%, much higher than the 2.9% average for all goods or the 4.7% the U.S. applies to EU agricultural exports. However, this average masks significant variation across specific farm products.
Dairy: Tariffs on U.S. dairy products are notably high. For example, cheese and butter can face duties exceeding 50%, with out-of-quota rates for some dairy items like butter reaching up to 298% and cheese as high as 245%. On average, dairy tariffs range from 49% to 100%, depending on the product and whether quotas apply.
Meat: Beef imports from the U.S. typically face tariffs around 12.8% plus an additional specific duty (e.g., €300 per 100 kg), which can push the effective rate to 40% or more, depending on the cut and quota status. Poultry tariffs range from 20% to 50%, while pork can see rates making it largely uncompetitive (often effectively 50% or higher with quotas).
Cereals: Tariffs on cereals vary, with corn currently entering duty-free due to past agreements (e.g., Blair House Agreement), but other cereals like wheat face rates around 25% to 35%. These can adjust based on import prices under the EU’s entry-price system.
Vegetables: U.S. vegetables encounter tariffs between 25% and 69%, with specific rates depending on the type (e.g., sweet potatoes at 25%-40%, tomatoes at 30%-50%).
Fruits: Tariffs on fruits range from 22% to 40%, with seasonal variations for temperate fruits (higher during EU growing seasons, lower off-season). For example, apples face duties over 7% when competing with EU production.
Sugar: Sugar imports from the U.S. are hit with tariffs around 58%, often subject to strict quotas, making large-scale exports unviable.
Other Products: Groundnuts (peanuts) and prepared foodstuffs can see tariffs from 25% to 50%, while eggs and sugar derivatives also face high rates, often exceeding 30%.
These tariffs are part of the EU’s Common External Tariff (CET) and are designed to protect its domestic agricultural sector, which is heavily subsidized under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The EU also uses tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), where lower or zero duties apply up to a certain volume, but much higher "out-of-quota" rates kick in beyond that limit. For instance, U.S. beef has a small quota for hormone-free exports at reduced rates, but most U.S. beef (hormone-treated) is effectively barred by non-tariff barriers, with tariffs adding further cost.
In practice, these high tariffs, combined with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations (e.g., bans on hormone-treated meat or GMOs), significantly limit U.S. farm produce exports to the EU. In 2022, U.S. agricultural exports to the EU were $11.1 billion, dwarfed by the $17.6 billion trade deficit, partly due to these barriers. As of April 3, 2025, no major changes to this structure have been reported, though ongoing trade tensions (e.g., U.S. steel tariffs and EU retaliation) could shift specific rates. For the most precise figures, product-specific HS codes would need to be checked via the EU’s TARIC database, but the ranges above reflect the current landscape.
