EU seeks unity as trade war with US begins

The EU said on Thursday (31 May) it would retaliate against steel and aluminium tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump, in what could be the opening shots of a transatlantic trade war.

European officials had been in contact with Washington in recent days to try secure a permanent and unconditional exemption from the tariffs that the US had threatened to impose.

The US did it citing national security concerns, which one EU official said was an illegal argument.

But Tru...