Trump threatens 50 % tariffs: EU in turmoil before the trade war!
Trump threatens 50 % tariffs: EU in turmoil before the trade war!
Brüssel, Belgien - President Donald Trump has announced a new escalation in the trade conflict with the European Union. He threatened punitive tariffs of 50% on goods from the EU that could come into force on June 1, 2025. Trump justifies this threat with stuck negotiations between the two trading powers. Products that are manufactured in the USA are excluded from these tariffs. The EU's reactions have so far failed to materialize, while the DAX has fallen to the lowest level for two weeks. It remains unclear whether the tariffs are actually introduced, since Trump often acted with such threats in the past.
Trump regularly uses customs threats as a means of pressure in negotiations. A phone call between the US trade officer Jamieson Greer and EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic was already taking place, which was planned before Trump's announcement. In the past few days, both sides had exchanged position papers and scheduled another meeting to intensify the trade talks. Without an agreement until the beginning of July, Trump will come into force for 90 days, which significantly increases the pressure on a solution.
The EU sees Trump's tariffs as unjustified and plans to impose against tariffs if necessary if the negotiations fail. Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche underlined the need for a negotiating solution to avoid negative effects on both economies. She emphasized the important role of the United States as a trading partner for the EU. DW also reports that Trump did not react to an offer for mutual cancellation of all tariffs. After Trump's re -election in November 2024, the effect on transatlantic relationships was discussed in the European Parliament. Leading EU MPs called for a continuation of the cooperation and declared their willingness to strengthen relationships with the United States. A debate that took place in February 2025 showed the widespread concern about the harmful effects of tariffs on companies and consumers. EU trading commissioner Šefčovič criticized these measures as harmful and referred to the possibility of countermeasures. Bleiben Sie informiert: Jeden Abend senden wir Ihnen die Artikel des Tages aus der Kategorie Ohne – übersichtlich als Liste. background and future outlook
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| Ort | Brüssel, Belgien |
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