US President Donald Trump plans to take imports from the EU with an inch of 30 percent from August 1st.
This was announced by the Republican on his Truth Social platform. In the published letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump threatened to increase further customs increases in the event of countermeasures. Mexico also received a customs letter.
The new dials of 30 percent therefore apply to all goods that the EU wants to introduce in the United States. This does not apply to certain industries in which Trump demands even higher serves. So far, other sentences have been true for car and auto parts as well as steel and aluminum.
The letter threatens a further escalation of the trade conflict. The European Union and the United States had recently tried to find a mutual solution in weeks of discussions. The one -sided imposition of new tariffs now faces this.
EU wants to find a further solution – but is ready for countermeasures
Even after the announcement of Trump’s latest customs ideas, the EU Commission continued to be faced with a mutually acceptable solution: Trump’s writing is noted, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It was still ready to work on an agreement by August 1st.
The introduction of tariffs of 30 percent to EU exports would disturb essential transatlantic supply chains – to the disadvantage of companies, consumers: inside and patient: Inside on both sides of the Atlantic, the German politician added.
The Leyen emphasized that only a few economies worldwide would be open to fair trade practices in their openness and obligation at the same level with the European Union. The EU has always sought a negotiating solution with the United States.
At the same time, from the Leyen again pointed out 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 should be particularly special tariffs on imports of US products into the EU.
Trump formulates unclear demand
In his letter, Trump also wrote: “The European Union will grant the United States unreservedly, duty -free market access without imposing tariffs against us to try to reduce the big trade deficit.” What exactly the US President means was initially unclear.
The United States is the most important trading partner for Germany. With his customs policy, the Republican wants to correct alleged trade weights and achieve that more is produced in the United States. In the worldwide customs conflict, Trump initially set a deadline of July 9 for new tariffs and extended them to August 1st days ago. In the past few weeks, the United States had spoken to many countries.
Many customs letters sent
In addition to the letter to the EU, Trump published a letter to Mexico. In this, he also announced an import exposure of 30 percent on goods from neighboring country from August 1st. He had already made a number of new tariffs known against certain countries in the past few days, most recently for imports from Canada and Brazil.
In the middle of the week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen carefully expressed the prospect of setting up the customs conflict. At the same time, she had made it clear that the EU was also prepared for the option of a further escalation to the trade dispute and that she prefers not to have a deal rather than a bad one.
Trump was asked by a journalist on Monday whether he was optimistic to achieve a possible deal with the European Union. He had replied that one was probably removed from an agreement for two days.