The Wall Street Journal

Europe’s Exporters Feel the Chill From Trump Tariffs

Factory output began to decline following April’s tariff blitz

The steep drop in U.S. demand for European goods left the continent’s factories idling.
The steep drop in U.S. demand for European goods left the continent’s factories idling. Photo: nicolas tucat/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Europe’s exports to the U.S. plunged by a third in April as demand was squeezed by President Trump’s tariff increases, leading to a fall in factory output that suggests economic growth has slowed after a strong start to the year.

European Union exports to the U.S. dropped to 47.6 billion euros ($55.2 billion) from 71.5 billion euros a month earlier, statistics body Eurostat said Friday, marking a dramatic reversal from March’s record high, when American importers were stocking up ahead of Trump’s tariff announcement.

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