Monday, May 26, 2025 - US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, May 25, that he would delay the implementation of threatened 50 per cent tariffs on the European Union until July 9, following what he described as a “very nice call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The move comes after heightened trade tensions between Washington and Brussels, with Trump previously warning that the new tariffs could be imposed as early as June 1.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in
Morristown, New Jersey, Trump said von der Leyen had reached out to request
more time for negotiations. “She just called me… and she asked for an extension
on the June 1st date, and she said she wants to get down to serious
negotiation,” Trump said. “And I agreed to do that.”
Von der Leyen confirmed the call in a statement posted on X,
formerly Twitter, calling it a “good call” and adding that “to reach a good
deal, we would need the time until July 9.” She reaffirmed the EU’s readiness
to “advance talks swiftly and decisively.”
Negotiations between the United States and the European
Union have been ongoing in a bid to prevent a broader trade war. Both sides had
previously agreed to suspend further tariff actions until July, but Trump’s
renewed threats on Friday escalated the situation. At the time, he said talks
with the EU were “going nowhere” and reiterated his longstanding belief that
the bloc was created to take advantage of the US.
German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil
responded on Sunday by urging “serious negotiations” and warning against
further provocations. He said he had spoken with US Treasury Secretary Scott
Bessent and emphasized that the tariffs could harm not just Europe’s economy
but also that of the United States. “The US tariffs endanger the US economy
just as much as the German and European economy,” Klingbeil told Bild newspaper.
Trump has previously imposed three rounds of tariffs on the
EU: 25 per cent on steel and aluminium, levies on automobiles, and a suspended
20 per cent reciprocal tariff on all imports, with a baseline 10 per cent still
in effect. In response to the latest developments, EU trade chief Maros
Sefcovic reiterated the bloc’s commitment to reaching a deal, adding that
transatlantic trade relations should be based on “mutual respect, not threats.”
Brussels has prepared retaliatory measures that could see
tariffs imposed on US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) if
negotiations break down. The US trade deficit in goods with the EU reached $236
billion in 2024, though the European Commission estimates the overall deficit,
accounting for services, to be closer to 50 billion euros ($57 billion).
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