President Trump threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on the European Union (EU) starting next month, arguing the 27-member bloc has been uncooperative and that negotiations have gone nowhere.
“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with. Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable,” Trump wrote in Friday morning post on Truth Social.
The president added that the United States’s discussion with the EU is “going nowhere,” therefore he is recommending a “straight 50 percent Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.”
The potential hike of import taxes on Europe would escalate tensions with the EU. Trump rolled out his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, which included a 20 percent duty on European goods. The bloc swiftly responded with its own countermeasures.
Since then, Trump has halted most of the “reciprocal” tariffs to allow for negotiations to take place, but a 10 percent duty was left in place. He’s also suggested in recent days that once the pause is over, the administration would announce new rates.
In early May, the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, rolled out a plan to respond to Trump by slapping tariffs on more than $100 billion worth of U.S. goods if the negotiations with Washington do not yield a desirable outcome. The list included cars, alcohol, industrial products and Boeing planes.
The commission said it would debate the measures through June 10 with its members.
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