EU vows action as Trump threatens new tariffs on imports
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on platform X that she had a "good call" with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the tariffs imposed on the EU by the American administration.
"Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively. To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9," she wrote on X, adding that "the EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship."
On Friday, Trump stated that he is "not looking for a deal" with the European Union and threatened to impose 50-percent tariffs on imports from the EU starting June 1.
In response to these threats, the European Commission called on the U.S. to start negotiations on a trade agreement. "The EU's fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both. EC remains ready to work in good faith," said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic after discussions with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Minister Howard Lutnick.
EU-US trade is unmatched & must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests, he added.
Meanwhile, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil urged the United States on Sunday to engage in "serious negotiations." American tariffs threaten the American economy just as much as the German and European economies, Klingbeil said in an interview with the Sunday edition of the newspaper Bild.
Trump's threefold blow to the EU
At the beginning of May, the EU threatened to impose tariffs on imports from the United States, including cars and airplanes, valued at approximately €95 ($108) billion, if trade negotiations with Trump fail. The European Commission also announced that it would bring the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In recent months, the U.S. administration imposed tariffs on the European Union three times: in March, 25-percent on steel and aluminum, and in April, 25-percent on cars and additional tariffs on all other European products at a rate of 20 percent, which have been suspended until July. The EU also faces basic tariffs of 10 percent.
