The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports starting Wednesday. Canada and the European Union followed suit in what is becoming a global trade war.

Canada plans to impose tariffs of 25 percent starting on Thursday. It will target imports of steel, aluminum and other products worth more than 29.8 billion Canadian dollars, or about 20 billion US dollars.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said, "Canada's not the one that is ultimately starting this war." She added that Trump's tariffs are the cause and there are "no winners in a trade war."

The EU has countered with tariffs worth up to 26 billion euros, or about 28 billion dollars, which it will impose in two stages. Levies on motorcycles, bourbon and other items go into effect on April 1. Those were the same goods subject to tariffs during Trump's first term. The second phase will include agricultural products, plastics and other imports by mid-April.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The European Union must act to protect consumers and businesses. The countermeasures we take today are strong but proportionate." She stressed, however, that the EU will "remain open to negotiation."

On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he plans to fight back against the EU's actions by imposing reciprocal tariffs. He said: "Whatever they charge us with, we're charging them. Nobody can complain about that."

He pledged that the US will take back a lot of what was "stolen" by other countries and vowed to restore America's "wealth."