The European Union has pledged to defend its interests following President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50-percent tariffs on all goods from the 27-member bloc.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic confirmed he spoke Friday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding the tariff threat. In a post on X, Sefcovic stated the EU remains “fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both” parties.
“EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests,” he said, emphasizing the Commission’s readiness to work toward an agreement in good faith.
Trump announced on Truth Social that he is “recommending” the substantial 50 percent duty on EU goods beginning June 1, claiming negotiations “are going nowhere.” Speaking later from the Oval Office, the Republican president clarified he was not actively seeking a deal with the EU but might consider delaying tariffs if European companies made significant US investments.
“I’m not looking for a deal,” Trump told reporters. “We’ve set the deal. It’s at 50 percent.”
European leadership expressed concern about the economic impact on both regions. German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche emphasized that everything must be done “to ensure that the European Commission reaches a negotiated solution with the United States.” French Foreign Minister Laurent Saint-Martin indicated the bloc prefers de-escalation but remains “ready to respond” if necessary.
The proposed tariffs would result in the EU facing higher import taxes on hundreds of billions worth of exported goods than China, which recently received reduced tariffs to facilitate ongoing Washington-Beijing negotiations.
Earlier in April, Trump had announced a 20 percent tariff on most EU goods, later reducing it to 10 percent until July 8 to allow additional negotiation time.
Trump has criticized existing trade frameworks as “unfair” to US companies, pointing to the trade imbalance where the European bloc exports more goods to America than it imports.
Additionally, Trump warned Friday that Apple could face a 25 percent import tax on iPhones not manufactured but sold in the United States.
These announcements negatively impacted stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic, with the S&P 500 declining approximately 0.8 percent and the pan-European STOXX 600 index falling about 1.2 percent.
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The European Union has pledged to defend its interests following President Donald Trump's threat to impose 50-percent tariffs on all goods from the 27-member bloc. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic confirmed he spoke Friday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding the tariff threat. In a post on X, Sefcovic stated the EU remains "fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both" parties. "EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests," he said, emphasizing the Commission's readiness to work toward an agreement in good faith. Trump announced on Truth Social that he is "recommending" the substantial 50 percent duty on EU goods beginning June 1, claiming negotiations "are going nowhere." Speaking later from the Oval Office, the Republican president clarified […]
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