The announcement has serious implications not just for economic stability but also for workers and industries. Workers in manufacturing industries, especially in countries heavily reliant on exports to the U.S., are at risk of losing their jobs or seeing their wages stagnate. 

In this context, industriAll Europe stands firm in its belief that Europe must act decisively to protect its workers, industries, and jobs. While the transatlantic relationship has witnessed numerous trade frictions and political divergences in the past, the current uncertainty in U.S. trade policy, along with its unpredictable and often aggressive approach, has created a precarious environment that risks economic instability and social harm.

While tariffs and protectionist measures threaten to destabilise industries and harm workers, they also serve as a wake-up call for Europe to rethink its approach to international trade. Now is the time for Europe to step up, safeguard its industrial base, and lead the world toward a more equitable, fair, and rules-based trading system. Workers must never be collateral damage in the pursuit of geopolitical agendas. Instead, they should be at the heart of a progressive trade policy that ensures their interests are prioritised and their jobs protected for the long-term prosperity of all.

Resolution for Transatlantic Relations

In response to the ongoing trade tensions, industriAll Europe's Congress adopted an emergency resolution on transatlantic relations , calling for: 

  • Develop a comprehensive industrial and trade strategy that moves beyond reactive tariffs and focuses on investment, innovation, sustainable development and job protection and creation through the further development of the internal market
  • Expand instruments such as SURE, the EGF and ESF+ to support workers affected by trade shocks and transform them into precautionary tools to save jobs on the basis of social conditionalities
  • Enhance strategic autonomy in critical sectors, such as energy-intensive, automotive, steel, and technology, reducing reliance on vulnerable trade relationships
  • Accelerate efforts to diversify and cooperate with trade partners who are willing to engage in fair and socially responsible Free Trade Agreements based on universal rules, respect of workers’ rights and sustainability rules, with the involvement of trade unions
  • Foster a global agenda to (re)build a multilateral fair-trade regime and related institutions
  • To work towards a progressive, international rules-based system, with a fully functioning World Trade Organisation (WTO)
  • Increase commitment from the EU and the US to find a positive outcome in relation to the Global Agreement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium
  • Continue to inform and consult trade unions on relevant trade issues affecting transatlantic relations
  • Pursue a coherent industrial policy in order to strengthen Europe as a business location in international competition, e.g. by reducing energy costs or European investment programs to promote transformation

The US-imposed 10% horizontal tariffs and 25% duties on strategic sectors such as automotive, steel, and aluminium are already hitting Europe’s economy hard. ETUI estimated that a 20% US tariff on EU goods could slash EU exports by nearly 15%, putting at risk up to 720,000 jobs, mainly in manufacturing, out of the 4.8 million supported by EU-US trade. The prospect of further tariff escalation and the resulting risk of industrial production relocating outside Europe, is a real concern and it must be treated as an emergency. 

Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s General Secretary, said:

“The latest threat from the US to apply more tariffs are a clear warning: Europe must urgently step up. The threat of new US tariffs is not just a trade war, it’s a direct threat to hundreds of thousands of European industrial jobs. We cannot allow working people to become the collateral damage of trade policies driven by short-term gain.

"Europe must respond with unity and determination. This means protecting our industries, investing in the jobs of tomorrow, and defending workers against instability and unfair competition.”

Read ETUCs press release here