Trump announces 30 percent tariffs on EU imports

US president Donald Trump intends to impose a 30 percent tariff on imports from the EU from August 1, 2025.

The Republican announced this on his platform Truth Social. In a published letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Trump threatened further tariff increases in the event of countermeasures. Mexico also received a tariff letter.

The new 30 percent tariff rate will apply to all goods that the EU wants to import into the United States. This excludes certain sectors where Trump demands even higher surcharges. Until now, different rates applied to cars and car parts, as well as steel and aluminium.

The letter threatens a further escalation of the trade conflict. The European Union and the US had recently tried to find a mutual solution in weeks of talks. The unilateral imposition of new tariffs now stands in the way of this.

EU seeks solutions but is prepared for countermeasures

Even after the announcement of Trump’s latest tariff proposals, the European Commission continued to seek a mutual solution. The commission acknowledged Trump’s letter, said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. They remain prepared to work towards an agreement until August 1.

The introduction of 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 German politician added.

Von der Leyen stressed that few economies in the world are on par with the European Union in their openness and commitment to fair trade practices. The EU has always sought a negotiated solution with the US.

At the same time, von der Leyen reiterated that the EU will take countermeasures in the event of a lack of willingness to negotiate on the US side. In a first step, this will primarily involve special tariffs on imports of US products into the EU.

Trump formulates unclear demand

In his letter, Trump further wrote: “The European Union will grant the United States unrestricted, duty-free market access, without imposing tariffs against us, to try to reduce the large trade deficit.” What exactly the US president means by this remained initially unclear.

For Germany, the US is the most important trading partner. With his tariff policy, the Republican wants to correct alleged trade imbalances and ensure that more is produced in the US. In the global tariff conflict, Trump initially set a deadline of July 9 for new tariffs and extended this to August 1 a few days ago. The US has spoken with many countries in recent weeks.

Many tariff letters sent

In addition to the letter to the EU, Trump published a letter to Mexico. In it, he also announced a 30 percent import surcharge on goods from the neighbouring country from August 1. In recent days, he had already announced several new tariffs against certain countries, most recently for imports from Canada and Brazil.

Mid-week, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for resolving the tariff conflict. At the same time, she made it clear that the EU was also prepared for the option of a further escalation in the trade dispute and that she preferred to have no deal rather than a bad one.

Trump was asked by a journalist on Monday whether he was optimistic about reaching a possible deal with the European Union. He replied that they were probably two days away from an agreement.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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