EU ministers weigh response to latest Trump tariff threat
US President unveils 30‑percent tariff threat as EU seeks a trade pact
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced he would impose sweeping 30‑percent tariffs on the European Union if negotiations fail by August 1. The move rattled months of meticulous talks between Brussels and Washington.
EU negotiators push for a negotiated solution
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen affirmed that the EU still prefers a negotiated accord. She also delayed retaliation over separate US tariffs on steel and aluminium, signalling goodwill.
EU’s counter‑measure package in development
- Additional reprisal measures will be presented to trade ministers on Monday.
- If Trump enacts the 30‑percent tariffs, the EU could roll out these measures.
- May‑threatened tariffs on US goods worth around 100 billion euros (≈ 117 billion USD) could be applied if talks stall.
European leaders rally behind a balanced stance
French President Emmanuel Macron urged von der Leyen to “defend European interests resolutely” and called for intensified preparation of counter‑measures.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed, saying he had spoken to Macron, Trump, and von der Leyen in the past few days and would “engage intensively” to find a solution.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned that a “trade war within the West” would weaken all participants.
Key takeaways
- Trump’s tariff threat targets the EU and Mexico.
- EU’s retaliation over US steel and aluminium tariffs was temporarily suspended to pursue a broader trade agreement.
- Brussels readied duties on US goods worth ~21 billion euros in response to earlier metal import levies.
- Trump has deployed a series of stop‑start tariffs on allies and competitors, intensifying market volatility.
- Only two US deals have emerged (Britain and Vietnam) with temporary eased duties with China.
- EU tariff escalation from a baseline of 10 % was postponed to August 1.
Trump justified the new 30‑percent levies by citing the US trade imbalance with the bloc. The EU’s tariff proposals are noticeably steeper than the 20 % rate Trump announced in April, which was initially paused until mid‑July.
