Donald Trump says he’ll delay the imposition of fifty% tariffs on items getting into america from the European Union till July, as the 2 sides try to barter a commerce deal.
It comes after the president of the European Fee, Ursula von der Leyen, stated in a publish on social media website X that she had spoken to Mr Trump and expressed that they wanted till 9 July to “reach a good deal”.
The US president had threatened final Friday in feedback on his Reality Social platform to herald the 50% tariffs from 1 June, with European leaders saying they had been prepared to reply with their very own measures.
However Mr Trump has now stated that date has now been put again to 9 July to permit extra time for negotiations with the 27-member bloc.
Talking on Sunday earlier than boarding Air Pressure One for Washington DC, Mr Trump advised reporters that he had spoken to Ms Von der Leyen and he or she “wants to get down to serious negotiations” and he or she vowed to “rapidly get together and see if we can work something out”.
The US president reignited fears of a commerce warfare between the 2 powers when he stated talks had been “going nowhere” and the bloc was “very difficult to deal with”.
Mr Trump advised the media in Morristown, New Jersey that Ms Von der Leyen “just called me… and she asked for an extension in the June 1st date. And she said she wants to get down to serious negotiation”.
“We had a very nice call and I agreed to move it. I believe July 9th would be the date. That was the date she requested. She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” the US president added.
On his so-called “liberation day” final month, Mr Trump unleashed tariffs on lots of America’s commerce companions. However since then he is backed down in a spiralling tit-for-tat tariff face-off with China, and struck a cope with the UK.
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A lot of his most incendiary rhetoric on commerce has been directed at Brussels, although, even going so far as to say the EU was created to tear the US off.
Responding to his 50% tariff menace, EU commerce chief Maros Sefcovic stated: “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.
“We stand able to defend our pursuits.”
