The European Union (EU) has delayed plans to hit back at US President Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs until the middle of next month. The trading bloc was set to impose duties on US products, including a 50% levy on whiskey, from 1 April to which Trump then responded with a 200% alcohol tariff threat.

The European Union is delaying until mid-April its retaliatory trade action over the Trump administration’s increase in tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25%, senior officials said Thursday.

The European Union has delayed its first counter-measures against the United States over President Donald Trump's metals tariffs until mid-April, allowing it to re-think which U.S. goods to hit and offering extra weeks for negotiations.