Trump Sets July 4 Deadline for EU to Back US Trade Deal
Trump Sets July 4 Deadline for EU to Back US Trade Deal
Trump warns the EU to approve the US-EU trade pact or face much higher tariffs by July 4, as von der Leyen reports progress toward tariff reduction.
President Donald Trump has given the European Union a July 4 deadline to enact the trade pact struck last year, demanding that EU tariffs on American goods fall to zero. In a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, he warned that if the bloc does not deliver, tariffs would jump to much higher levels by the United States’ 250th birthday.
The deal, which would reduce tariffs and align rules between the world’s two largest trading blocs, has moved slowly through European institutions. It envisages a 15% tariff on certain EU exports to the US, and Trump has previously threatened as high as a 30% levy on European goods. Parliament leaders have given conditional approval, saying they would accept zero tariffs on US goods only if European steel and aluminum products are not hit by Trump’s 50% tariff on those metals.
Endorsement by all 27 EU member states remains required, and negotiators on both sides say there is progress but more work to do. The negotiators are set to meet again in the coming weeks.
Hours after the ultimatum, a US trade court ruled that Trump’s latest 10% global tariffs were not justified under US trade law, a decision that could complicate the administration’s tariff strategy and spur further court challenges. For now, the White House hopes the July 4 deadline will prompt Brussels to finalize its side of the deal, while Brussels stresses careful scrutiny of concessions.
