Bottles of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Getty Images The European Union is preparing a new list of duties against the U.S. in case President Donald Trump moves ahead with tariffs on European cars, the Financial Times reported Friday citing anonymous officials in the region. The list, which is reportedly set to include duties worth 18 billion euros ($21.07 billion), will target staples like ketchup, it said. However, there are doubts whether this would be the right product to target with a spokesperson for Kraft Heinz telling the newspaper that the company has substantial manufacturing operations in Europe, and that all the ketchup sold in Europe is made there. The list for new tariffs is also likely to include frozen fish, raisins and adhesive bandages, according to the report. Trump is set to decide in the coming weeks on whether to put additional taxes on European carmakers. According to the European statistics office, Eurostat, the U.S. imported cars amounting to 254 billion euros ($296.12 billion) in 2016, while Europe imported only 77 billion euros. To reduce the U.S.’s trade deficit, Trump has threatened multiple times that there could be new duties applied to European cars. In late June, the EU imposed new duties on peanut butter, jeans, bourbon and motorcycles, among other products after Trump announced a 25 percent levy on European steel and of 10 percent against European aluminum. To read the Financial Times report click here.
Frozen fish, raisins, adhesive bandages and tomato ketchup are likely to be on a new list of tariffs the European Union is preparing to levy on the US if the Trump administration goes ahead with tariffs on European vehicles, according to sources. However, there are doubts over whether ketchup will be targeted, according to Kraft Heinz, as the company has substantial manufacturing operations in Europe, whose output is sold locally.