(MENAFN) European Union trade ministers have condemned the recent trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States, warning that the bloc could respond with countermeasures unless it secures better terms from Washington.The criticism comes after President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer finalized a limited trade deal last week. While the agreement reduces some tariffs on steel and automobiles, it maintains a baseline 10% tariff on British exports.Trump has already imposed various tariffs on EU automotive and metal industries. Although he announced a steep tariff hike on all EU imports on April 2, the rate was later reduced to 10% for 90 days to allow time for further negotiations.Speaking ahead of an EU trade ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Swedish Trade Minister Benjamin Dousa voiced his dissatisfaction, stating, “If Europe gets the same deal as the UK, the US should expect retaliatory action.” He questioned the deal's legitimacy, saying it barely qualifies as a trade agreement.Finnish Trade Minister Ville Tavio also criticized the agreement, calling it far from ideal for the UK. French Minister Laurent Saint-Martin urged caution, warning the EU not to view the current 10% reciprocal tariff rate as a positive outcome.Poland’s Michal Baranowski added that the EU would be dissatisfied with a similar deal and could secure better terms that avoid high tariffs.In anticipation of stalled talks, the European Commission has prepared a list of retaliatory tariffs that could hit $106 billion (€95 billion) worth of American goods.Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, warned the EU against pursuing these countermeasures, describing them as a serious error that would be counterproductive.The EU had previously paused retaliatory steps after the US agreed to a temporary freeze on tariff increases. However, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said he recently spoke with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to push for more robust negotiations.If no agreement is reached by early July, the US could raise tariffs to 20% as part of Trump’s broader strategy to reduce the transatlantic trade deficit, which he blames on the EU.Meanwhile, China has also voiced disapproval of the UK-US deal, accusing London of giving in to US pressure. Beijing argued that such bilateral agreements should not negatively impact third-party countries.