This year he already made ten trips to Washington. He discussed for hours and hours with his American political opponents about strategic industrial interests. Wednesday 2 April is forever in the memory of Maros Sefcovic, European Commissioner for Trade: the day that for US President Donald Trump went into the books as ‘Liberation Day’. Trump came with a long announcement list of trade taxes. For Sefcovic it meant the kick -off of endless calculations.
“The months of tireless efforts are unparalleled in intensity and can only be matched by the unlimited importance of our transatlantic trade worth 1.7 trillion dollars,” the trade chief explains on Monday in a press conference in Brussels. Sefcovic is visibly relieved with the result of a “tariff ceiling” of 15 percent in American import duties.
At the start of the negotiation that had to put an end to weeks -long uncertainty – on Sunday in Glasgow, Trump, where Trump wanted to make his move on his own golf course with committee chairman Ursula von der Leyen – the threatened 30 percent of import duties were still on the table. According to Sefcovic, von der Leyen did it “great” and the current agreement (which still needs to be in detail and must be declared legally binding) is “the best possible deal” that was feasible in the current “complex circumstances”. He concludes: “We have averted a trade war with this.”
Exceptions
That feeling is widely shared in political and diplomatic circles. It could have been many and many times worse (think of the 200 percent import duties with which Trump threatened for chips and pharmaceuticals) and that is prevented. There is roughly a triple of import duties in many categories, but there is at least fixed grounds for citizens and companies. Moreover, there is further negotiations on exceptions. For example, a reciprocal zero tax will apply to some agricultural products and aircraft parts. De Hoop lives – among others in Italy and France – that certain spirits, beer and wine are excluded.
The Netherlands, which exports more than 50 billion euros in goods to the US annually, is ‘relieved’, writes State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Hanneke Boerma (NSC), on X. Although the agreement is ‘not ideal for many Dutch companies’, a ‘good and stable transatlantic trade relationship remains our principle’. “Of course, no rates would have been better, but this agreement brings more clarity for our companies and more stability to the markets,” Prime Minister Dick Schoof is appealing.
From now on it can only get better
Brussels emphasizes that the deal is more than trade alone: geopolitics, especially in terms of safety, has also strengthened the transatlantic relationship indoors. The US must help to achieve the European energy independence of Moscow. In 2027, the EU wants to say goodbye to fossil fuels from Russia. In addition, the US must become the most reliable trading partner in the AI revolution that Europe wants to use, with grand plans for European ‘Giga factories’.
EU-Trade Commissioner Sefcoviv: “The EU and the US can openly discuss all sensitive issues as the two largest economies and two closest allies and we agree: that is a very important answer.” Hopeful: “From now on it can only get better”.
But while the EU accepts new levies, she does not put equivalent taxes on it. The 50 percent levy on steel and aluminum is maintained by the US (although quotas still have to be negotiated). Von der Leyen also promised substantial investments from the EU (good for 600 billion euros), in addition to 250 billion euros per year in energy purchasing in the next three years that Trump is still in the saddle. With import duties of 10 percent, the UK was considerably better.
Europe must quickly become geopolitics in terms of trade
Knever
Critics mainly see a knee valley of Europe towards Trump. This is a “black day for Europe,” says French Prime Minister François Bayrou.
“Europe must learn to put a lever on Trump, if necessary by exaggerating,” says Bart Groothuis, MEP for the VVD. He is certainly not in jubilation mood, he says from his holiday address: “This is not a strong negotiation outcome. Von der Leyen must realize that negotiating with Trump is in nature, and has little away from a traditional trade conflict that you can solve technocratically.” Groothuis concludes: “In terms of trade, in terms of trade, quickly getting geopolitically mature, because Trump will undoubtedly come up with extra requirements in the future. Can the US then just enforce unilateral concessions or do we also push back?”
A high -ranking diplomat puts it this way on Monday: “Sometimes a forced draw at the last minute is better than going for the win, because then you can go off the field with injuries or get two goals against it.”