Tit-for-tat tariffs: Beauty giants ask EU to exclude American cosmetics from trade war via Personal Care Insights

Sabine Waldeck
27 March 2025

Major European beauty companies are urging the EU to exclude American cosmetic goods from its tariff rollout next month. The group of 16 beauty executives, called the Value of Beauty Alliance, is warning that tariff retaliations against the US could hurt the EU’s personal care industry — one of the region’s biggest sectors.

The beauty and personal care value chain adds €180 billion (US$194.34 billion) to the EU27 GDP and supports almost 3.2 million jobs. French labor union FEBEA reports that in France alone, beauty imports from the US amount to US$500 million, while exports are worth roughly €2.5 billion (US$2.7 billion).

The Value of Beauty includes companies such as L’Oréal, Beiersdorf, Givaudan, and IFF. These European companies have a large presence in the US — L’Oréal’s North American region had €11.8 billion (US$12.74 billion) in sales last year.

Following US President Donald Trump’s promise to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, the EU published a 99-page list of counter-tariffs on US goods, including shampoos, perfumes, aftershaves, and sunscreens.