US President Donald Trump escalates his demands in trade negotiations with EUpushing for a minimum duty 15% to 20% in any agreement with the block (EU), according to sources reported by the Financial Times.
Trump’s toughest attitude aims to test the EU pain threshold after weeks of talks on a framework agreement that would maintain a 10% basic duty for most goods. Donald Trump was also not moved by the EU’s latest offering to reduce duties in cars and would be happy to maintain duties in this area at 25%, as planned, people who know the negotiations said.
Maros Sefcovic, EU Commissioner for Trade, has given a sluggish evaluation of his recent Washington talks to Bloc ambassadors on Friday, two people who had been reported on the meeting.
An American official told the Financial Times that the government is now considering a mutual duty exceeding 10%, even if an agreement is reached. This position puts the EU in a difficult position as the deadline for August 1 is approaching, so Trump said it would impose a 30% duty on all its imports.
The block has stated that it will retaliate for such a move, but is divided into countermeasures and may be forced to accept a basic limit of more than 10% in any agreement.
In a sign of rising pessimism in Europe on the form of an agreement, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz warned Friday (18.7.2025) that Washington remains cautious about offers to reduce sectoral duties.