US President Donald Trump has announced new 30% tariffs on European products, set to take effect August 1, prompting the European Commission to warn of countermeasures and emergency talks among EU leaders.
US President Donald Trump announced in a letter posted on Truth Social that the United States will impose 30% tariffs on European products starting August 1. Trump indicated that the rate could increase further if the European Union retaliates, stating that 30% is "far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity."
The European Commission responded in a written statement: "We remain ready to continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required."
Trump added that "goods transshipped to evade a higher Tariff" will also face elevated rates. He argued that the US trade deficit represents a national security threat and criticized the EU for non-reciprocal trading practices. “We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,” Trump wrote. “Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”
Trump said that approvals to "build or manufacture" in the US would be granted "within a matter of weeks," and that European companies producing in the US would not be subject to tariffs.
The announcement comes after months of negotiations between the EU and US, as the pause on a previous 20% "reciprocal tariff" is set to expire August 1. The Trump administration has begun sending letters to trading partners, including 24 countries and the EU, notifying them of the new duties.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated, “We will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests. Imposing 30 percent tariffs on EU exports would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic.”
The European Commission called staff in for emergency duty, and national capitals entered crisis mode to assess the next steps. Five EU diplomats confirmed that ambassadors would meet for emergency talks on Sunday afternoon, ahead of a meeting of EU trade ministers in Brussels on Monday.
The EU had been pushing for a deal that would lock in a baseline 10% tariff on exports to the US, with sector-specific relief for cars, aircraft, and spirits.
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