US Updates: EU vows tough countermeasures to tariffs.
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Ursula von der Leyen said a significant increase in US steel tariffs "will not go unanswered" and will "respond to strong countermeasures". The EU leader also met with US Vice President JD Van Ex. Steel coils at a factory in Germany
Steel is used in every aspect of our lives: in cars and construction, washing machines, cargo ships and surgical scalpels.
What you need to know
The European Union has vowed to respond to US tariff increases on steel imports with "strong and proportionate countermeasures".
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff hike on foreign steel and aluminium imports.
When asked about the possibility of other countries retaliating against the US tariffs, Trump said: "I'm not worried."
Meanwhile, Pope Francis has rebuked the Trump administration for deporting undocumented immigrants.
The White House fired the inspector general of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Tuesday, an official told US media. The firing comes a day after the watchdog's office warned that the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID had made it nearly impossible to track $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian funds.
The official, who had direct knowledge of the shooting, was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke to CNN and the Reuters and AP news agencies on condition of anonymity.
The White House did not give a reason for the firing, the official said.
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