US tensions with two key trade partners amped up on Monday after President Trump doubled tariffs on steel and aluminum and the US pushed countries for deals ahead of looming deadlines. China responded to Trump's claim on Friday that it has "totally violated its agreement" with the US,

The European Union is preparing “countermeasures” against the United States if the two sides cannot reach a deal after surprise U.S. tariffs on steel rattled global markets and complicated the ongoing negotiations between Brussels and Washington.

The European Commission said on Monday it would make a strong case this week for the United States to reduce or eliminate tariffs even after Donald Trump said he would double import duties on steel and aluminium to 50%.

The EU is prioritizing negotiations to address the trade conflict, while it also prepared to “accelerate our work on the defensive side” if trade negotiations with the U.S. fail, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

The European Union on Monday said it is preparing “countermeasures” against the United States after the Trump administration’s surprise tariffs on steel rattled global markets

Skyline view of the City of London financial district from the viewpoint in Greenwich Park in London, United Kingdom. This is CNBC's live blog covering European financial markets. Good morning from London, where futures data from IG suggest stock markets will nudge higher at the open — following declines in France, Germany and Italy.

DUESSELDORF/FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Salzgitter, Germany's second-biggest steelmaker, warned on Monday that Washington's tariff policy was dealing a severe blow to European industry, after the U.S. administration unveiled plans to double steel import levies to 50%.