Most Dutch don't want EU to retaliate to Trump's import tariffs

A majority of Dutch people don’t want the European Union to impose import duties on American goods in response to the tariffs announced by Donald Trump, Hart van Nederland found in a survey of a representative part of its panel. 52 percent of Dutch people think the EU should not impose its own import duties on the U.S., while 36 percent want the EU to do exactly that.

Within the 36 percent who want to retaliate, 22 percent advocate for tariffs equal to those imposed by Trump, and 14 percent want the EU to hit back even harder.

Among those who oppose import duties on American goods, 31 percent want to focus on a free trade deal with the Americans, while 21 percent want the EU to take no further action against the U.S.

The resistance to retaliation seems to stem from not wanting to escalate the trade war, rather than support for Trump’s policy. 81 percent of Dutch people are negative about Trump’s import duties. Only 13 percent called the position positive. Only among voters of the far-right FvD is there majority support for Trump’s approach - 67 percent positive, 25 percent negative.

On Wednesday, Trump introduced his latest gambit in trade policy, introducing the tariffs he bluntly proposed during his 2024 re-election campaign. For the EU, he imposed 20 percent tariffs on goods exported to the United States. The tariffs were without nuance, drawing criticism from economists and policy makers including DNB President Klaas Knot, the head of the Dutch central bank. “This has nothing to do with economic theory. If it weren’t so serious, I’d call it laughable,” Knot said on Nieuwsuur a day after Trump’s announcement.

The European Union will first try diplomacy, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday. “We stand ready to negotiate with the U.S. Indeed, we have offered zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods as we have successfully done with other trading partners,” she said. “Europe is always open for a good deal. So we keep it on the table. But we are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests.”

The European Commission did respond with countermeasures when Trump first hiked import duties shortly after taking the presidency. A first package of import duties on American products will come into effect on April 15, followed by a second round in May. These duties target steel, aluminum, and other industrial goods worth 26 billion euros.

EU politicians are also discussing broader countermeasures, including the use of the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which can restrict American companies’ access to European tenders.