The European Union favors a negotiated resolution regarding trade with the United States, as stated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also noted that the bloc would prolong its suspension of countermeasures against US tariffs until early August.
President Donald Trump issued a warning yesterday about imposing a 30% tariff on imports from the EU and Mexico, effective August 1, following unsuccessful negotiations with major US trading partners aimed at achieving a comprehensive trade agreement.
“The (anti-coercion) instrument is designed for extraordinary circumstances; we are not at that point yet,” Ms. von der Leyen commented, referencing a tool that permits the EU to implement restrictions beyond conventional tariffs on goods to include trade in services.
The EU’s current hold on its retaliation against US steel and aluminum tariffs was initially scheduled to expire at midnight tomorrow.
Ursula von der Leyen welcomed President Prabowo Subianto to Brussels
“These are turbulent times, and when economic uncertainty intersects with geopolitical volatility, partners like us must unite. Today, we are making significant progress in this partnership,” Ms. von der Leyen informed reporters.
In the meantime, Germany’s finance minister remarked that the European Union will have to take “decisive” actions to counteract US tariffs if a “fair” agreement with Washington is not reached to prevent the proposed levies.
Lars Klingbeil shared with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that “serious and solution-oriented negotiations” with the US are still essential. However, he stressed that if these talks do not succeed, the EU would need “decisive counter-measures to safeguard jobs and businesses in Europe.”
Mr. Klingbeil stated that the tariffs would result in “only losers” and would “threaten the American economy just as much as businesses in Europe.”
He affirmed, “Europe remains committed and united: we seek a fair deal.”
“Our hand is extended, but we will not accept just anything,” Mr. Klingbeil added, insisting that contingency measures for a no-deal scenario “must continue to be prepared.”
Trump doing ‘his negotiations on Truth Social’ – Harris
Tánaiste Simon Harris characterized Mr. Trump’s 30% tariff threat as a “negotiating tactic.”
Speaking at the National Day of Commemoration in Dublin, Mr. Harris remarked that “the letter from President Trump yesterday was unproductive, as it escalates tension, but I think it does not alter anything in the immediate future.”
He pointed out that the deadline has always been August 1, and that “still stands as the first of August, which appears to be a negotiating maneuver by Donald Trump.”
“We prefer in-person negotiations. He tends to negotiate on Truth Social, and he can proceed as he likes, but from both a European and Irish viewpoint, we are continuing our intensive engagement. I was in touch overnight with the EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, discussing matters with him regularly,” Mr. Harris explained.
When questioned on whether he believed President Trump would implement the tariffs, Mr. Harris stated: “Anyone who claims certainty today may find themselves looking foolish in a matter of days. However, my impression is that President Trump is aware of the necessity for a deal.”
“Why do I think that? Remember, he proposed 50% tariffs last Wednesday, and then allowed more time for negotiations. So this is, I believe, his way of negotiating—a negotiating tactic on behalf of the United States.”
Minister for Climate, Environment, Energy, and Transport Darragh O’Brien noted that there is “still time for negotiations,” asserting, “we don’t want to sensationalize the situation.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, he stated, “The uncertainty generated over the past several months in both the European Union and the United States is detrimental to the economy, especially for businesses.”
“Tariffs benefit no one, and the trading relations we had prior to this new administration were advantageous for all parties involved,” he added.
The minister emphasized that the Irish economy and its people are “very resilient post-Brexit.”
“I believe we will navigate through this,” he concluded.
