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EU Shuts Down US Bid to Tie Steel Tariff Relief to Digital Rule Changes

By  |  November 25, 2025
Steelmakers

The European Union has firmly dismissed a U.S. proposal to ease its digital regulations in exchange for relief from steep American tariffs on European steel and aluminum, according to Bloomberg.

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    U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in an interview with Bloomberg on Monday that Washington would consider offering a “cool steel and aluminum” agreement if Brussels scaled back parts of its digital rulebook. The United States currently applies a 50% tariff on European metal imports.

    EU officials swiftly rejected that approach. “The European digital rulebook is not up for negotiation,” Teresa Ribera, a vice president at the European Commission, said in a statement late Monday. “We, Europeans, have adopted our rules to ensure fair markets and to protect consumers rights while securing Europe’s digital future.” Those remarks underscore the EU’s refusal to tie trade concessions to its digital policy agenda, per Bloomberg.

    Related: US Commerce Secretary Urges EU to Dial Back Digital Rules Targeting American Tech

    Lutnick’s decision to explicitly link steel tariffs with tech rules adds pressure on the EU, which has been seeking exemptions to U.S. duties. President Donald Trump has long criticized the bloc’s trade surplus with the United States and has argued that EU digital regulations act as non-tariff barriers — the type that his administration seeks to counter through what it calls reciprocal tariffs. According to Bloomberg, the White House has previously framed EU penalties on U.S. firms as akin to import duties.

    Earlier Monday, Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s technology chief, to discuss the bloc’s regulatory framework. The European Commission said Virkkunen emphasized the central role of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, two cornerstone laws that govern the behavior of major online platforms and digital marketplaces.

    While Washington continues to push for changes, Brussels has made clear that its digital rules — designed to ensure fair competition and safeguard consumers — will not be bargained away for tariff relief.

    Source: Bloomberg