Trump announces 30 percent tariffs on goods from the EU and Mexico. Deadline set
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday on his social media platform Truth Social that on August 1 he will impose 30 percent tariffs on goods imported from the European Union and Mexico.
Trump posted copies of the letters regarding the new tariffs on Truth Social. Shortly afterward, an EU official told Reuters that the announcement of 30 percent tariffs on European goods was a Trump negotiating tactic.
On Wednesday morning, speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the EU is "working closely" with the Donald Trump administration but is also preparing for "all scenarios." That same day, European Commission spokesman Olof Gill stated that the EU aims to conclude a trade agreement with the US before August 1st – the new deadline set by Washington for concluding negotiations.
The initial 90-day suspension period for the tariffs announced by Trump expired on July 9. Currently, EU products entering the US market are subject to a base tariff of 10%, but at one point the US president threatened the EU with tariffs as high as 50%.
According to the media, the EU wants to maintain customs duties at 10 percent, but at the same time obtain exemptions from duties for items such as airplanes, aircraft parts, and alcohol.
On Wednesday, the US president sent letters regarding new tariffs to Brazil, the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Iraq and Libya; he also announced that other countries would receive letters regarding new tariffs soon.
Trump published the first batch of copies of the letters addressed to 14 countries online on Monday. Among the recipients were South Korea and Japan. Imports from these countries will face a 25 percent tariff.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that for the first time, the total tariffs collected by the US Customs Service in the first half of 2025 exceeded $100 billion, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote on the X website that this proves the US is benefiting from the president's trade policies. Earlier this week, Bessent stated that he expects the tariffs collected by the end of the year to be worth $300 billion.
We will take all necessary steps to protect the EU's interests, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday in response to the US announcement of 30 percent tariffs on EU imports. She did not rule out taking "proportionate countermeasures."
“Imposing 30% tariffs on EU exports would disrupt crucial transatlantic supply chains, harming businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,” the European Commission president said in a statement.
"We are ready to continue working towards reaching an agreement by August 1st. At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to protect the EU's interests, including taking proportionate countermeasures if necessary," she added.
"It is our duty to obtain the best possible results in trade negotiations with the US or choose other options when it comes to exporting our products," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday before the Mexican government delegation left for trade negotiations in Washington on Friday, following Donald Trump's announcement of his intention to impose 50 percent tariffs on copper imported from Mexico.
The Mexican President reminded that the United States is not the only importer of Mexican copper, as China also imports Mexican copper.
“In reality,” Sheinbaum reminded, “a large part of imports comes from the fact that U.S. businesses, the American economy, simply need them.”
"Mexico," she added, "also has other export destinations for copper—for example, to China. The same is true for pharmaceutical products, among others."
Costa on 30% US tariffs: The EU is ready to protect its interestsEuropean Council President Antonio Costa emphasized that the EU supports the European Commission in these actions because "customs are taxes." "They fuel inflation, create uncertainty and hinder economic growth," Costa noted in the post.
In his view, the EU must build "strong trade partnerships around the world." "Free and fair trade drives prosperity, creates jobs and strengthens supply chains," Costa said.
Following Donald Trump's return to the White House, the EU has accelerated trade talks with countries in Southeast Asia and South America, among others, emphasizing the need for diversification. The European Commission is expected to present its final proposal for an agreement with Mercosur in the coming days.
French President Emmanuel Macron commented on Saturday on the announcement by Donald Trump's administration to impose 30% tariffs on imports from the EU from August 1st and demanded the acceleration of the Community's retaliatory measures; he also expressed his "very deep disapproval" of this initiative by the US President.
In a post on Platform X, Macron called for a firm defense of European interests, using the EU's ACI legislation, which allows for retaliatory action against attempts to put economic pressure on the EU.
ACI allows, for example, restricting access to public procurement tenders for companies from a country that exerts pressure on the Community, Reuters reports.
The President assessed that if an agreement on tariffs is not reached with the US by August 1, the European Commission should mobilize all means of pressure at its disposal to defend European exports.
German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche also reacted to Trump's initiative, assessing that the tariffs he intends to impose will severely harm European export companies while also adversely impacting the US economy and American consumers. She added that a pragmatic agreement in trade negotiations with the US is urgently needed.
The Association of German Exporters (BGA) announced that Trump's announcement to implement tariffs on EU goods from August 1 is part of his negotiation strategy, and that the EU should not be intimidated and must negotiate with the US on an equal footing.
Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa commented on Trump's decision, both emphasizing that the EU is ready to defend its interests. Von der Leyen added that the EU remains committed to reaching an agreement with the US before August 1st.
Following Donald Trump's return to the White House, the EU has accelerated trade talks with countries in Southeast Asia and South America, among others, emphasizing the need for diversification. The European Commission is expected to present its final proposal for an agreement with Mercosur in the coming days.
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