Officials from the European Union said Thursday that they would delay their retaliation against President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs — including 50% levies on American whiskey and other goods — until the middle of next month.

The move is meant to give officials time to refine the list of products that will be hit while also allowing more time to strike a deal with the United States, said Olof Gill, a spokesperson. The first wave of EU tariffs was originally set to kick in March 31, with a second wave coming a few weeks later.

The postponement could also allow officials to reconsider whether they want to impose such big tariffs on sensitive products like bourbon. And it comes as Europe tries to prevent its trading relationship with the United States from devolving into a tit-for-tat trade war that costs consumers and companies on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The EU and the U.S. enjoy the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world,” Maros Sefcovic, the bloc’s trade commissioner, said during a speech in Brussels on Thursday. “It should be a priority for both sides to protect and further develop this relationship.”

Sefcovic, who is in charge of negotiating trade matters for the EU, talked to his U.S. counterparts by phone last week. He said Thursday he had learned the Trump administration did not want to negotiate on trade until after April 2, when the United States is expected to announce a new and even more sweeping round of tariffs on its global trading partners.

The delay in negotiation has complicated the original start date for Europe’s retaliatory tariffs, which EU policymakers had hoped would be a tool to prod the Americans to the negotiating table.

— Associated Press

Cybertrucks recalled over window panel

U.S. safety regulators on Thursday recalled virtually all Cybertrucks on the road, the eighth recall of the Tesla-made vehicles since deliveries to customers began just over a year ago.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall, which covers more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

The stainless steel strip, called a cant rail assembly, between the windshield and the roof on both sides, is bound to the truck’s assembly with a structural adhesive, the NHTSA report said.

Tesla will replace the panel free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 19, 2025.

The Cybertruck, which Tesla began delivering to buyers in late 2023, has been recalled eight times in the past 15 months for safety problems.

Mortgage rates inch up for second week

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose slightly for the second week in a row, a modest setback for prospective home shoppers as the spring homebuying season ramps up.

The rate rose to 6.67% from 6.65% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.87%.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week, pushing the average rate to 5.83% from 5.8% last week. A year ago, it averaged 6.21%, Freddie Mac said.

— From news services