The European Union slapped revenge tariffs on iconic US products including bourbon, jeans and motorcycles yesterday in its opening salvo in a trade war with President Donald Trump. The tariffs will further fuel jitters on world stock markets that are already alarmed by trade tensions between the United States and China.

Customs agents across the Europe's colossal market of 500 million people will now impose the duty, hiking prices on US-made products in supermarkets and across factory floors. Brussels imposed the raft of duties on US products worth $3.3 billion in a tit-for-tat response to Trump's decision to slap stiff tariffs on European steel and aluminium exports.