WARSAW, April 11, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The EU will act to defend its economy and companies unless the United States changes course on its aggressive tariffs policy, the bloc's economy chief said as European finance ministers held talks Friday.

The 27-country European Union obtained a reprieve after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday suspended higher US duties for 90 days -- and in turn has pausing plans for retaliatory tariffs in hope of reaching a negotiated solution.

"We are willing to work with US and find constructive solutions, mutually acceptable solutions," said EU economy commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, ahead of the ministers' talks in Warsaw.

"Obviously we are also passing the message that if we do not see movement also from US side and willingness to move away from this kind of tariff policy, we will have to defend our economy. We will have defend our companies," he added.

Dombrovskis will join the ministers for two days of talks about the market turmoil and how to minimise the impact on the European economy if Trump doesn't back down.

Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe, who heads the group of ministers for the 20-nation single currency area, pointed to the eurozone's economic strength.

"I remain very, very confident that the economic foundations of the euro area are resilient and strong," he told reporters.

He said the pause was "a window for opportunity" for Brussels to engage Washington and "negotiate an alternative to a path that will lead us all to a world of lower growth, of higher inflation and to many risks to the progress that we've made in recent years".

Dombrovskis said he believed the EU would fare better than the United States as Trump unleashes tariffs on allies and partners around the world.

"We see the negative macroeconomic effect on the EU and US economy, and actually on the US economy, a larger negative effect than on the EU as the US is putting very widely those tariffs," Dombrovskis said.

But he added "the situation remains very uncertain and volatile".

The bloc also still has to contend with Trump's 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminium as well as cars.