European officials are quietly backing away from their threat to hit U.S. goods with retaliatory tariffs, delaying the plan until mid-April amid rising concerns over how President Donald Trump might respond. The European Union had previously planned to begin the tariffs at the end of March.

A spokesman for the European Commission, Olof Gill, confirmed the delay, saying it would give negotiators more time to hold talks with the White House. Behind the scenes, however, European leaders are feeling the heat from Trump’s warning of massive countermeasures.

Trump’s administration recently launched a new wave of tariffs on steel and aluminum from foreign trading partners. The EU’s original plan was to strike back by taxing U.S. products like bourbon, jeans and motorcycles — items associated with states that helped put Trump in office.

But Trump fired back with a threat of a 200% tariff on European alcohol products, including French wine, if Europe moved forward. That warning sparked pushback from national leaders across the continent.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned against getting trapped in what she called a “vicious circle” of retaliation. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin also urged restraint and said common-sense diplomacy should prevail.

The European Commission admitted Thursday that little progress is expected until after April 2, when Trump’s wider reciprocal tariffs take effect. That date looms large, especially for European industries tied to exports.

The delayed tariffs were originally expected to impact around $28 billion in U.S. goods, reinstating penalties similar to those imposed during Trump’s first term. American whiskey was expected to face a 50% tax under the plan.

Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic acknowledged that European leaders are not united on how to handle Trump’s aggressive tariff strategy. The delay appears to reflect internal divisions as well as fear of more economic fallout.

Trump has made it clear he won’t hesitate to escalate. He warned earlier this month that if the EU moved forward with its whiskey tariff, the U.S. would go after alcohol imports with devastating taxes.