Trump extends Tatiff debate: Hope on faster EU deal!

Trump extends Tatiff debate: Hope on faster EU deal!

Brüssel, Belgien - The trade conflict between the United States and the European Union (EU) takes a new turn. US President Donald Trump has postponed the 50%tariffs originally planned for June 1, 2025 to EU products by July 9, 2025. This decision was followed by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, who asked for more time for negotiations. She emphasized that the EU was ready to negotiate quickly and made progress, such as Al Jazera

The initiative of Von der Leyen also found support from France President Emmanuel Macron, who expressed his hope for a trade contract with low tariffs during a visit to Vietnam. This diplomacy have years of tensions that began in April 2025 when Trump spoke out the first threats regarding tariffs. He criticized the EU for its slow negotiations and described the talks on social media as "leading somewhere."

trade relationships in focus

Trade relationships between the USA and the EU are of great importance for the global economy. The two partners represent the largest bilateral commercial and investment relationship in the world. In 2023, trade was impressive for an impressive 1.6 trillion euros. Goods worth 4.4 billion euros are exchanged between the partners every day. According to EU Trade Policy , millions of jobs are directly connected to these trade relationships.

US exports support around 2.3 million jobs and the EU investments in the United States employ around 3.4 million people. Despite these deeply rooted connections, Trump has made a turn in the previous trade strategy. This is a striking change of course from decades of trade liberalization towards a protectionist attitude.

preparation for possible measures

Trump originally introduced a universal minimum tariff of 10% and higher tariffs for countries with surpluses. The EU, on the other hand, was ready to delete tariffs to industrial goods to promote cooperation, but the US government rejected this proposal. There is further focus on EU exports to the United States, which was 532 billion euros in 2024, while imports ranked at 333.4 billion euros. These numbers prove the decreasing trade dependency and the challenges that arise in the context of geopolitical tensions.

If no agreement can be reached by July 14, 2025, the EU has signaled that it could consider to introduce its own tariffs of 50% to US products worth 21 billion euros. These skirmishes are not only political maneuvers, but, according to a study by the International Monetary Fund, could also bring significant economic setbacks for both sides, with a possible decline in GDP by 0.3 to 0.6 percent.

A uniform framework for trade relationships is essential. The stability of the regulative framework and the transparency of customs measures are crucial for a functioning market economy. In addition, the discussion about the evolutionary steps towards a new global trade order and a reduced influence of third countries, especially China, remains a central topic for both trading partners.