Hungary has come out forcefully against European Commission plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on US imports, with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto warning that such measures would inflict economic harm on consumers and escalate tensions.

EU trade ministers at a meeting on Monday signalled readiness to deploy a full spectrum of countermeasures including potential taxes on digital companies in response to tariffs announced by Donald Trump last week covering some €380bn worth of goods. "While the EU remains open and prefers negotiations, we will not wait endlessly," EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Monday in Luxembourg.

The EU is finalising a two-stage retaliatory package, which has been circulated to member states for approval. A vote is expected on Wednesday, April 9, and the first wave of counter-tariffs could be implemented as soon as April 15, with a second phase scheduled for mid-May.

"We expect the European Commission to negotiate, but not about imposing new tariffs, not about even higher tariffs, but about how to reduce tariffs for trade between the United States and the European Union," the foreign minister said in an online message on Facebook.

Szijjarto suggested that the EU could have avoided being targeted by Trump's sweeping tariffs if it had reduced import tariffs on the US auto industry from the current 10% to 2.5% earlier.

He claimed that the European Commission's draft tariff list would lead to a price increase of HUF18bn (around €46mn) in Hungary alone, hurting consumers across the bloc. He also suggested that Budapest is not isolated on the issue, saying "several member states" had expressed similar concerns.

The minister sharply criticised the EU's handling of both transatlantic and China trade policy, accusing the Commission of adopting "ideologically driven" economic measures. Szijjarto called EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles a textbook example of how ideological policymaking can cause enormous economic harm.

The diplomatic pushback comes as the Hungarian government faces renewed scrutiny from Washington over transparency and corruption in its public procurement system. A fresh report by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) lists Hungary among several EU countries imposing "discriminatory or burdensome" barriers to American businesses.

The USTR cited Hungary's opaque tendering procedures, overuse of direct awards, and a pattern of favouring domestic or non-EU bidders – including Chinese firms – in key contracts. Despite various anti-corruption initiatives, "corruption in the public procurement system remains a key concern," the report said.

Hungary makes more frequent use of direct award and negotiated procedures than most other countries, without providing sufficient justification, the report notes, adding that the European Commission launched a budget conditionality mechanism against Hungary three years ago over the "systemic irregularities, deficiencies and weaknesses" in its public procurement procedures.

Szijjarto dismissed the report as politically motivated, filled with "fake news and lies" "dictated by former US ambassador David Pressman", who had "acted as an opposition activist" during his stint in Budapest." He expressed optimism that the newly installed US administration would adopt a more constructive tone.