Trade dispute: Trump grants EU delay on threatened new tariffs

Washington. US President Donald Trump wants to postpone the introduction of the new tariffs on imports from the EU, which he announced for early June, by a good month. The start of the planned additional import fees of 50 percent will be postponed until July 9, Trump announced after a conversation with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She assured him that necessary discussions would begin quickly, Trump wrote on his online platform Truth Social. The US president told reporters on Sunday (local time): "We had a very nice conversation, and I have agreed to postpone it."

Immediately before Trump's announcement, von der Leyen wrote on Platform X that the European Union and the United States share one of the most important and closest trade relationships in the world. "Europe is ready to move talks forward quickly and decisively," she continued. This requires time until July 9. This date marks the expiration of a delay set by Trump in April for other tariffs he had announced.

This three-month window was intended to be used for negotiations. The EU had also announced at the time that it would suspend planned retaliatory tariffs on US products for 90 days.

On Friday, however, Trump unexpectedly threatened the EU with punitive tariffs of 50 percent starting June 1 – and showed little willingness to compromise. "I'm not looking for a deal," Trump said at the White House. He justified the drastic step with deadlocked negotiations. European products, such as those from Germany, would likely become significantly more expensive in the US if the high punitive tariffs were actually imposed.

Despite Trump's assurances, it seemed unclear whether the new tariffs on imports from the EU would go into effect as quickly as announced. Trump has regularly threatened high tariffs in the past – and subsequently reversed course. The Republican appears to be using his tariff threats as a negotiating tactic at times.

To defuse the current trade dispute, the EU has already offered the US an agreement to mutually eliminate all tariffs on industrial goods. However, the Trump administration has not yet accepted this.

In addition to tariff deals, new agreements are considered an option. According to the EU Commission, the EU and Trump could, for example, conclude a new deal to expand American exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It would also be possible to import more military equipment and agricultural goods to reduce the US trade deficit with the EU.

The EU considers Trump's tariffs unjustified and incompatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It emphasizes that it will take decisive action against US tariffs if negotiations fail, including retaliatory tariffs.

RND/dpa/bab