Only Hungary opposed the package, according to four EU diplomats with direct knowledge of the vote, while all other 26 countries voted in favor.
“Escalation is not the answer. Such measures would cause further damage to European economy and citizens by raising prices. The only way forward is negotiations, not retaliation,” Hungary’s Foreign and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a post on X.
Fourteen EU countries would have needed to vote against the retaliation, which had been seen as unlikely considering the shows of unity in recent weeks.
The retaliation did not, however, contain a response to Trump’s imposition of 20 percent “reciprocal” tariffs on all EU exports, which took effect on Wednesday but were paused later that evening as the U.S. president announced a temporary halt to tariffs above 10 percent for most U.S. trading partners
The EU has yet to respond to Trump’s latest 25 percent tariff on cars, or to U.S. tariffs on pharmaceuticals that the American leader has said are coming soon.
The European Commission has previously said it is considering putting forward its countermeasures on those tariffs as early as next week. “It will for sure be soon. I expect it could be as early as next week,” trade spokesperson Olof Gill said Tuesday.