Hungary is standing firmly against the European Union’s potential move to impose retaliatory tariffs on American goods, warning that such a decision could lead to an HUF 18 billion (€44.2 million) price hike at home.
Speaking at an EU Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó urged Brussels to choose dialogue over escalation.
At a press conference following the talks, Szijjártó stressed the need for “strategic calm” amid growing trade tensions rather than hastily entering into a tariff war with Washington.
“We certainly do not support a trade war or tariff war with the United States,” he said. “We don’t want higher tariffs — we want lower ones. The European Commission should negotiate not on new tariffs, but on reducing the existing ones.”
The EU is currently weighing its response to recent U.S. tariff hikes, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirming that Europe is ready to negotiate a “zero-for-zero” tariff agreement on industrial goods. She maintained that the EU remains open to a “good deal” but is also prepared to defend itself if necessary. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič clarified that such a deal could cover sectors like cars, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and machinery.
Despite this, Brussels has not ruled out retaliation, a prospect that Hungary sees as a dangerous move. Szijjártó warned that higher tariffs would directly hit Hungarian consumers, raising prices on everyday items such as contact lenses and cosmetics. “If the Commission’s list is adopted, this would mean an immediate HUF 18 billion increase in costs for Hungary,” he pointed out.
The minister welcomed the fact that Hungary is not alone in its opposition, noting that several EU member states share similar concerns.
Szijjártó criticized the European Commission’s handling of the situation, arguing that the current leadership failed to anticipate U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies. “Serious negotiations could have been held months ago,” he said, adding that Hungary had proposed lowering EU tariffs on U.S. cars from 10 percent to 2.5 percent, to match the American rate — a move he believes could have prevented the looming tariff hikes.
“Everything that has happened could have been avoided,” Szijjártó stated.
The Hungarian position is one shared by Rome, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expected to visit President Trump next week to discuss mutual tariff reductions between the U.S. and the European Union.
In a televised interview last week, the Italian premier told viewers, “I am not convinced that the best choice is to respond to duties with other duties. The impact could be greater on our economy than what happens outside our borders. We need to open a frank discussion with the Americans, with the goal, from my point of view, of removing duties, not multiplying them.”
