The European Union is proposing a long list of retaliatory tariffs on American-made goods, including sports jerseys, ski boots and basketball sneakers, according to a report of goods proposed to be taxed published by the EU Wednesday.
The EU disclosed a list 99-pages long of U.S. goods it seeks to tax “for rebalancing” President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products from the European economic area, it says on its website. The commission is seeking comment from domestic businesses on the proposals until March 26.
The items are primarily agricultural and industrial products but include categories that affect a swath of sports-related goods, including specially designed gloves for use in sports, ski suits and downhill and cross country ski boots, knitted garments used for “sporting purposes,” sports footwear encompassing everything from cleats to sneakers and hats of any sort made by assembling strips of material, a definition that would include baseball caps and fishing hats. Any product finished in the U.S., even if it’s made of all foreign sourced components, is considered U.S. made.
More broadly, items that would be sold in sporting goods stores, such as tents, knapsacks, general outdoor wear, swimsuits, sails and lifejackets are also on the EU list.
During the first Trump administration, the EU responded to Trump tariffs with a focus on affecting businesses in areas where voters backed the now-78-year-old president, and the new list appears to be similarly targeted. The EU’s list includes products such as motorcycles, whiskey, and park and playing-field mowers, which tend to be manufactured in Trump-supporting districts.
Earlier this month, Canada imposed retaliatory 25% tariffs on U.S. goods including sports gloves, all sorts of sports footwear, hats and caps, sails and camping equipment, according to that nation’s searchable tariff database.
