EU says Trump car tariffs 'will put a tax on the US people'

European commission hits back at president, threatening tariffs on $300bn of US goods

Donald Trump will put a "tax on the American people" if he goes ahead with a threat to hit European carmakers with punitive tariffs, the European Union has warned.

In a hard-hitting paper, the European commission said Trump's tariffs would be "self-defeating and would weaken the US economy", estimating that almost $300bn (228bn) worth of US goods could be hit by countermeasures.

Related: Eurozone factory output hits 18-month low amid tariff fears