EU to assess Trump's auto tariffs decision, says von der Leyen

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission will assess U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement for tariffs of up to 25% on automotive imports, it said late on Wednesday, together with other measures the U.S. is looking at in the next days.

"As I have said before, tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers equally in the U.S. and the European Union," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

The bloc will continue to seek negotiated solutions, while safeguarding its economic interests, she added.

"As a major trading power and a strong community of 27 member states, we will jointly protect our workers, businesses and consumers across our European Union."

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Chris Reese)