U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened the European Union with a 50 percent tariff on goods starting June 1.
“The European Union, which was formed with the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” he wrote in a post on social media.
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50 percent Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”
The fresh threat comes hours before a call between EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Friday as the two sides seek a basis for negotiation to head off a transatlantic trade war.
The call takes place just days after Brussels responded to the U.S. administration with a newly tweaked list of concessions it is willing to offer, as first reported by POLITICO.
The Financial Times reported earlier on Friday, however, that Greer was expected to reject the EU’s proposals, demanding unilateral concessions instead of mutually reducing tariffs.
Trump in particular takes offense at the EU’s regulation of big tech and value-added taxes levied by member countries, which he views as nontariff barriers that discriminate against U.S. businesses.
“We’ve sent them what we think is an excellent, detailed, mutually beneficial proposal,” said Commission spokesperson Olof Gill, standing by the EU’s approach in its talks with Washington.
The new document aims at boosting purchases in strategic sectors, such as energy, as well as developing cooperation on 5G and 6G mobile networks. It would also ramp up strategic cooperation in sensitive sectors that have undergone trade investigations resulting in U.S. tariffs, such as steel and aluminum, semiconductors and cars.
The EU offer also includes more imports of non-sensitive agricultural goods.
The recent exchange of letters sparked hope that talks between Brussels and Washington could finally make substantive progress, after weeks of mounting frustration over a lack of engagement from the Trump administration.
Šefčovič hopes to meet with Greer in Paris in early June, after the EU trade chief paid at least three publicly disclosed visits to Washington since Trump took office in January.
The European Commission declined to comment on Trump’s latest threat.
This story is being updated.
The post Trump threatens EU with 50 percent tariff from June 1 appeared first on Politico.
