LIVE MARKETS-European morning headlines: steel tariffs, LafargeHolcim, GKN, ASOS

March 2 (Reuters) - Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets

brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Danilo Masoni. Reach him on

Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: danilo.masoni.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net

EUROPEAN MORNING HEADLINES: STEEL TARIFFS, LAFARGEHOLCIM (LSE: 0QKY.L - news) , GKN (Frankfurt: 694194 - news) , ASOS (0738)

U.S. steel, aluminum stocks jump on tariff announcement

EU promises firm response to U.S. steel tariffs

LafargeHolcim CEO launches overhaul, takes big Q4 charge

GKN says in talks with U.S.-based Dana over auto unit sale

ASOS (LSE: ASC.L - news) finance chief to quit firm

Land Securities Chairwoman Alison Carnwath to step down

Linde (IOB: 0H3X.IL - news) , Praxair (NYSE: PX - news) kick off $8 billion in asset sales- Bloomberg

Elekta AB Q3 profit, orders top forecasts, cuts full-year margin forecast

SAIC, Infineon (Xetra: 623100 - news) form JV to make electric car power modules in China

France's Canal+ suspends broadcasts of TF1 (Paris: FR0000054900 - news) channels in fee feud

Profit at Portugal's EDP sapped by last year's drought

Unions approve Societe Generale (Swiss: 519928.SW - news) 's French retail job cuts plan

Mergers within Renault (LSE: 0NQF.L - news) -Nissan-Mitsubishi (LSE: 7035.L - news) alliance possible but not a goal - Ghosn

LSE Group lifts operating profit 47 pct

Packaging group Mondi (Frankfurt: KYC.F - news) announces special payout as annual profit climbs

Britain's Spire Healthcare (Frankfurt: S00.F - news) 2017 core earnings down 7.4 pct

(Tom Pfeiffer)

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FUTURES OPEN LOWER AS FEARS OVER U.S. PROTECTIONISM TAKE THEIR TOLL (0719 GMT)

European bourses are set to open lower as concerns over the United States' possible decision

to impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports spread from Asia and Wall street.

(Julien Ponthus)

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US STEEL TARIFFS: WHAT'S NEXT? (0715 GMT)

As we just mentioned, trade tensions are set to spill over to European trading this morning

but what can investors realistically expect to happen next?

Jefferies analysts says Trump's confirmation of plans for a 25 percent tariff on imports is

only a "modest upgrade" to the most aggressive of measures proposed by the DoC in January and

ultimately they expect a more nuanced final policy outcome.

"Mounting pushback from domestic steel consumers and foreign steel suppliers is likely to

lead to a more nuanced final policy outcome... While Trump has full carte blanche to do

essentially whatever he wants with 232, we believe an across the board 25% tariff is politically

unfeasible and will be viewed as a direct tax on U.S consumers," they say.

And for Europe what does the move mean?

"Investors are rightly concerned that steel will be redirected from the US to Europe, but...

should the EC be forced to implement safeguard measures (as last seen in 2002), Section 232, far

from hurting the EU, could force the EC's hand to implement comparably hawkish policies to the

benefit of local mills. And, if the EC ultimately secures relatively open access to the US (as a

core trade/security partner) then Euro steelmakers could benefit from sales into one of the

world's highest priced markets," Jefferies analysts say.

Trump officially has until April 11 announce his final decision.

(Danilo Masoni)

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TRADE TENSIONS SET TO DRAG EUROPEAN SHARES LOWER (0617 GMT)

Good morning. European shares are set to open lower today following losses in Asia and Wall

Street on worries over a possible trade war after President Donald Trump announced the United (Shenzhen: 000925.SZ - news)

States would impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

"25% tariffs on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminium imports has raised concerns of

countermeasures from China and the EU in response and is likely to see European stocks, which

had already been struggling ahead of this weekend's Italian election and important SPD vote in

Germany,... open sharply lower over concerns that costs will rise and profit margins will get

hit sharply," says Michael Hewson, Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets (LSE: CMCX.L - news) .

Here your morning calls, courtesy of CMC (BSE: CMC.BO - news) .

FTSE100 is expected to open 45 points lower at 7,130

DAX is expected to open 120 points lower at 12,070

CAC40 is expected to open 33 points lower at 5,229

(Danilo Masoni)

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(Reporting by Danilo Masoni, Helen Reid, Kit Rees and Julien Ponthus)