On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that he had agreed to postpone the deadline for a 50% tariff on the European Union to July 9, 2025.
Trump conveyed this decision via a post on Truth Social, detailing that he had received a call from Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, who sought an extension on the June 1 tariff deadline. “I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so,” he wrote.
This announcement followed von der Leyen’s statement, indicating that she had a “good call” with Trump but required additional time to negotiate a favorable deal. She expressed on X, “The EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship,” emphasizing Europe’s readiness to progress talks efficiently and effectively.
Previously, Trump imposed 20% tariffs on the EU as part of his broader “reciprocal tariffs” strategy, which he later reduced to 10% for a temporary 90-day period.
However, in a recent statement, Trump floated the idea of instituting a “straight 50% tariff” on the EU beginning June 1, declaring that the 27-nation bloc had proven challenging in negotiations. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” he expressed in a Truth Social post last Friday.
Trump has also asserted that he does not intend to reach an agreement with the EU before the June deadline, indicating a shift in his approach: “I just said, it’s time that we play the game the way I know how to play the game,” he stated during a signing event for an executive order at the White House.
