(Adds context)PARIS, March 9 (Reuters) - Europe must respond to U.S.President Donald Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminium witha united voice if its eventual counter-measures are to have animpact, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday.
Trump pressed ahead on Thursday with import tariffs of 25percent on steel and 10 percent for aluminum but exempted Canadaand Mexico and offered the possibility of excluding otherallies, backtracking from an earlier "no-exceptions" stance. European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstromresponded the EU did not believe tariffs were a solution to theproblem of overcapacity in the steel sector and that it stoodready to go to the World Trade Organisation if necessary. "Our reaction must be a collective one if we want it to beeffective," Le Maire told reporters."The European Commission has said that all options are onthe table. The first thing to do is evaluate the impact of theU.S. decision on European industries ... and see what are themeasure we will be able to take," he said.
He is to meet representatives of the industry on Monday inBrussels.Le Maire said on Thursday evening there would only be"losers" in a trade war resulting from tariffs imposed byWashington. (Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Writing by Richard Lough;Editing by Leigh Thomas)
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