US and EU reach peace deal on Trump-era tariffs on steel and aluminium

Agreement allows duty-free access for limited amounts of EU-made metals and fends off retaliatory EU tariffs due in December

The US and EU have agreed to end a festering dispute over US steel and aluminium tariffs imposed by former president Donald Trump in 2018, removing an irritant in transatlantic relations and averting a spike in EU retaliatory tariffs, US officials have said.

Commerce secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters on Saturday that the deal would maintain US section 232 tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% aluminium, while allowing limited volumes" of EU-produced metals into the US duty free.