Trump postpones 50% tariff on EU imports after conversation with Ursula von der Leyen
US President Donald Trump has agreed to delay an announced 50% tariff on goods from the European Union until July 9 to continue trade talks, he told Truth Social, the Financial Times reports.
"Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called me with a request to extend the deadline for the introduction of a 50% tariff on trade with the European Union, which was June 1. I agreed to the extension until July 9, 2025," the post says.
In an interview with reporters, he said he had a "very pleasant conversation" with von der Leyen.
The President of the European Commission also confirmed the agreement: "The EU and the US have the most significant and closest trading relationship in the world. Europe is ready to move the negotiations forward quickly and decisively. We need time until July 9 to reach a good deal."
The conversation was the first between US and EU leaders since Trump's inauguration. It came two days after the US president announced a 50% tariff on EU imports starting June 1.
Von der Leyen's office confirmed that she initiated the conversation with Trump. The newspaper notes that this statement indicates a possible change in the European Commission's position towards finding a compromise.
At the same time, Trump's external economic adviser Stephen Moore said that the statement of the European Commission President is a "promising sign" but "it may not be as fast as Trump would like to see."
- The European Union plans to impose additional tariffs on about 100 billion euros ($113 billion) of American goods if current trade talks with the United States do not yield a satisfactory result, a source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
- The EU has significantly lowered its economic growth forecast for 2025 due to Trump's tariffs.
