So Italy will observe protectionist measures over Washington's unilateral move to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Trump last week said his government would levy penalties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports, but left it not clear whether trading partners like the EU and Canada would be exempt.
So the EU has moved ahead with preparations for the worst.
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said that the EU, the world's biggest trading bloc, rejects Trump's reasoning that the tariffs are backed by the international legal right to protect national security.
At that time, the EU compiled a list of items for retaliatory tariffs that included steel products, but also orange juice, apples, sunglasses, knitwear, motor boats and photocopying machines. It represented $2.2 billion in US exports to the EU.
George W. Bush withdrew the steel tariffs and the list was never acted upon.
