EU will respond if U.S. imposes tariffs on European steel: Germany

[February 20, 2018]  BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union will respond "appropriately" if the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration decides to impose tariffs on European steel imports, the German economy ministry said on Tuesday.

Steel rolls are pictured in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony on March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

"We must first wait and see whether and what action the U.S. President will take," an economy ministry spokeswoman said.

"If U.S. restrictions on our European steel companies actually materialize, the EU will respond appropriately," she said, adding Berlin was in close contact with the European Commission.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Madeline Chambers)

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