US-EU trade war: What happens if negotiations fail?

By Oluwatobi Ojabello

Trade wars rarely yield clear winners. Instead, both sides endure economic losses, with the extent of damage shaped by their vulnerabilities, resilience, and strategic leverage.

With the April 12 negotiations looming, the risk of failure raises the stakes for both the U.S. and the EU. If talks collapse, economic consequences will follow, potentially triggering a cycle of retaliatory measures.

History has shown how quickly trade disputes can escalate. In 2002,