The EU will delay its plan to hit the US with tariffs on €21bn of its annual exports to Europe on Tuesday within the hope of coming to an settlement after Donald Trump introduced that he would hit the bloc with 30 per cent tariffs from August 1.
European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen mentioned on Sunday that the appliance of tariffs to €21bn of annual US exports to the EU, together with rooster, bikes and garments, that have been as a consequence of come into impact on July 15 could be suspended till “early August”.
“We have now at all times been clear that we choose a negotiated answer with the US. This stays the case,” she mentioned.
Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would hit the EU and Mexico, two of the US’s closest buying and selling companions, with 30 per cent tariffs from August 1.
European leaders have been cut up on whether or not the bloc ought to press for a fast framework commerce deal just like the UK’s or maintain negotiating within the hope of attaining a greater consequence.
Senior EU officers instructed the FT that they didn’t count on Trump to in the end undergo together with his new menace of 30 per cent tariffs, which is being broadly interpreted by Brussels as a bid by the US president to extend stress on the bloc within the remaining time left for negotiations.
One EU official pointed to the probability of a really adverse US investor response to such steep measures on a key buying and selling accomplice.
“We belief within the markets,” the official mentioned.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed hope {that a} “affordable” deal could possibly be made with the US. Talking on state tv ARD on Sunday, he mentioned he spoke to von der Leyen, Macron and Trump on Friday and agreed to make use of the subsequent two weeks to discover a answer.
“Negotiations have been already pretty superior,” Merz mentioned. “We have now seen this with different international locations — Canada and China have had letters of this sort. On the finish of the day, there have been negotiating positions and there have been often, not at all times, however often affordable options.”
German finance minister Lars Klingbeil earlier instructed Süddeutsche Zeitung. “No one wants new threats or provocations proper now. What we’d like is for the EU to proceed severe and focused negotiations with the US.”
Nonetheless Klingbeil warned that “if a good negotiated answer can’t be reached, then we should take decisive countermeasures to guard jobs and firms in Europe”.
In addition to the preliminary listing of counter-tariffs, the European Fee, which runs commerce coverage, is consulting on a package deal of tariffs on an extra €95bn of imports from the US, together with plane, alcohol and meals, which would want member states’ approval.
This has already been lowered to €72bn, in keeping with two diplomats, after governments lobbied to take away some delicate merchandise from the goal listing.
Two diplomats mentioned the fee would ship the second retaliation package deal to member states for approval on Monday.
The US is making use of tariffs on round €380bn of annual imports from the EU.
Von der Leyen mentioned the fee would “proceed to arrange” the second listing of countermeasures however she mentioned the bloc wouldn’t invoke its anti-coercion instrument, which might enable it to take measures towards US service exports, for instance by blocking corporations from public procurement contracts.
The instrument “is created for extraordinary conditions — we’re not there but,” the fee president mentioned, including that “the time is for negotiations”.
Her feedback got here as she introduced a “political settlement” on a free commerce take care of Indonesia after 9 years of talks.
The deal, anticipated to be finalised in September, will must be ratified by a weighted majority of member states and by the European parliament. Officers are assured it should go as Indonesia doesn’t export delicate agricultural merchandise similar to beef.
Bilateral commerce in items between the EU and Indonesia was €27.3bn in 2024, with EU exports value €9.7bn and EU imports value €17.5bn.
“I’m very pleased that on this period of instability and confusion we’re setting a proper instance,” Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto mentioned.
Von der Leyen mentioned diversifying its commerce agreements was a central a part of the EU’s technique to counter Trump’s commerce battle.
Some enterprise teams and politicians, nevertheless, have criticised von der Leyen’s strategy.
Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, chief of the far-right League get together who had enthusiastically rooted for Trump’s re-election, lashed out at Brussels for mishandling the negotiations.
“Trump has no cause to assault our nation however as soon as once more we’re paying the worth for a German-led Europe,” the League mentioned in a press release.
Coldiretti, the influential Italian agribusiness affiliation, has additionally criticised Brussels’ dealing with of the negotiations, warning that Trump’s threatened 30 per cent tariff charge could be a “deathblow” to Italy’s meals exports, and trigger an estimated €2.3bn in direct damages to Italian producers.
“If the tariffs have been to be confirmed on August 1, we can’t assist however word the whole failure of von der Leyen’s coverage,” mentioned Ettore Prandini, Coldiretti president.
However Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday evening reiterated her confidence {that a} deal could possibly be discovered to avert the punitive 30 per cent tariffs.
“A commerce battle throughout the west would weaken all of us within the face of the worldwide challenges we confront collectively,” Meloni mentioned. “Europe has the financial and monetary energy to say its arguments and safe a good and smart settlement.”
Extra reporting by Amy Kazmin in Rome, Henry Foy in Brussels and Anne-Sylvaine Chassany in Berlin
