US President Donald Trump made an unexpected statement regarding future trade measures against the European Union, which has sparked widespread resonance in global economic circles
According to him, starting from June 2025, the United States may impose extremely high tariffs — up to 50% — on imported goods from EU countries. He stated that this decision is a response to systematic trade barriers, which, in his view, unfairly restrict American producers and contribute to a rapid increase in the trade deficit, an issue previously unique to US-EU relations. The politician's statement was made via his account on the Truth Social platform and has already elicited numerous comments from international analysts. Trump believes that the European Union cynically uses several measures to restrict American businesses, including high-value-added taxes, sanctions against American corporations, non-tariff barriers, currency manipulation, and even "unfounded legal suits." All of this, he argues, contributes to the fact that the US trade deficit with European countries already exceeds $250 billion annually. Trump called this situation "absolutely unacceptable" and emphasized that negotiations with the European side are not yielding the expected results. Accordingly, he proposed introducing a 50% tariff on all goods imported from the EU starting June 1, 2025. At the same time, he noted that this would only apply to products manufactured or assembled in the USA, thereby protecting domestic production. It is worth noting that, in the context of upcoming measures, prior to this, Trump reported that on May 23, the EU’s chief trade representative, Maroš Šefčovič, was scheduled to hold a phone call with his American colleague, James Graber. The main topic of the negotiations was assessing progress on tariffs and exploring possible ways to resolve trade disputes. Importantly, on May 12, Trump openly criticized the EU, stating that it was even worse than China in terms of trade with the US, and that prospects for a bilateral agreement are currently quite vague. Additionally, it should be mentioned that US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent expressed skepticism about the speed of reaching an agreement with the EU. According to him, negotiations are currently hindered by a "collective action problem," which complicates achieving compromise and, consequently, implementing mutually beneficial trade agreements. This underscores the tension in bilateral relations, which could lead to new trade conflicts and complications for the global economy. Overall, Trump's new step is another indication of the complex and tense situation in international trade, which could significantly change the face of economic relations between the US and the European continent in the coming months.