President Trump is now threatening with a 30 percent levy on EU prodctus

This article was last updated on July 14, 2025

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President Trump is now threatening with a 30 percent levy on EU products

The United States want to introduce an import tax of 30 percent on 1 August on products from the European Union. That is stated in a letter from President Trump to the European Commission. Mexico also has to deal with an input tax of 30 percent in terms of Trump.

In a response to Trump’s letter, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says he is still confident that the US and the EU will come to a trade agreement. “At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to protect European interests, including proportional countermeasures, if necessary.”

The French President Macron is fiercer and says that the EU should go more speed with possible countermeasures. It can appeal to special legislation that protects the EU and the Member States against economic coercion by countries outside the Union, according to Macron. It can then be about limiting trade and investments.

The European Union and the US are each other’s most important trading partner. With the mutual trade in goods and services, an amount of 1684 billion euros was involved last year.

Whether the American taxes will actually take effect on 1 August is still the question. Recently, Trump has mentioned percentages more often to put pressure on the negotiation process.

Unfair

In his letter, the president emphasizes that he finds trade between the US and the EU unfair because, according to him, the Americans are buying more European goods than the other way around. On 2 April, Trump announced levies of 20 percent on EU products.

The rate that Trump is now screening is therefore higher, but it is lower than the percentage of 50 percent that he recently mentioned on his social media platform Truth Social.

With his message, the US President wants to put further pressure on negotiations. A few days ago, EU-Handelsmisser Šefčovič said that the negotiations with the Americans are in the final phase. He thought that an agreement could be concluded within a few days.

EU correspondent Ardy Stemending:

“Urgent consultation in Brussels following the threatening letter from Trump, because the percentage that Trump is now comes with is certainly not easy. With his letter, Trump clearly puts another tooth in the trade war. He increases the pressure on the EU converting to a deal that is especially favorable for the Americans.

In recent days, the European Commission said it hoped for a fast deal with the Americans. And also that the EU had not yet received a letter because of the current negotiations.

In a first reaction, the European Commission emphasizes how bad import duties are for the economy. At the same time, the European Commission says it is still willing to negotiate a deal. Behind the scenes it can be heard that she sees the letter mainly in the context of those negotiations: laying down an extreme position to get it out as much as possible for the US. The EU must now determine what is being put in it. “

The intention was that there would be an agreement before July 9. But this week the Americans announced that it would give negotiations until 1 August.

Mexico also expects to be able to close a deal with the US. The Mexican President Sheinbaum said today that she is “sure” that the deal about the import duties will be created, but emphasized that “the sovereignty of Mexico cannot be negotiated”.

In a letter to Sheinbaum, Trump wrote that Mexico has not done enough to prevent migrants from illegally traveling to the US and drugs such as Fentanyl into the country.

Fairs

Earlier, twelve other countries, including Japan and South Korea, were told that a levy of 25 percent applies to their products.

Despite all the announcements of taxes, there was a fairly calm response last week. Many investors now seem used to all the percentages mentioned by Trump in the negotiation process and that vary considerably. Nevertheless, we have to wait and see how the newest percentage will be received when the stock exchanges open again on Monday.

With high import duties, Trump wants to make the trade balance between Europe and the US ‘more fairer’, but that balance is not as unfair as he says: