The European Union will ensure that any response to US duties must be in line with the authorities of the World Trade Organization, according to the Swedish Commerce Minister, possibly limiting the bloc’s options for retaliation.

“There is a broad consensus between the Member States and the Commission that the WTO, in its core, is important to maintain it,” Benjamin Dusa said in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% duties In imports of cars, semiconductor, steel and aluminum. He also said that the US would impose mutual duties on imports in an effort to deal with complaints about how countries choose to tax and regulate their purchases.

The EU has prepared many lists of US goods that could impose duties if Trump is threatening his threats, Bloomberg said earlier. The block could move quickly by re -implementing the tariffs it imposed for the first time on the US during Trump’s first term.

“We have many others in progress free trade negotiations now,” Dusa said. “If we want to be a credible partner, if we continue to say that everyone else must adhere to the WTO principles, then we must do it too.”

The Swedish Minister of Commerce noted that ‘It is possible for a solution where duties will be reduced, instead of increasing“And he added that within the WTO” there is clearly room “to reduce duties to the rest of the world.

“It is not Sweden that is pushing for high duties in the context of WTO regulations. But it is important to remain compatible with the WTO principles, “he said.

“In practice, this would mean that duties are reduced to all countries that are members and with which we do not have a free trade agreement. But I think It is perfectly reasonable to review duty levels We have against other countries, “he concluded.