The president scored Donald Trump her proposal European Union to drop duties throughout bilateral trade in industrial goods with the US, which means that The 20% duty on all EU imports will come into force from tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, while at the same time asking Europeans nThey buy energy from the US “because they need it”.
Speaking to the White House yesterday (7.4.25), Trump said that The offer by EU Commission President Ursula von der Laien is not enough to restart transatlantic trade relations, accusing the EU of maintaining other trade in trade.
“The European Union has been very bad towards us,” he said. “We pay them to keep them militarily and they are fooling us in the trade, so it is not a good combination.”
It is noted, however, that Yesterday the Commission abandoned plans to impose 50% retaliation on American whiskeyI, in the context of a separate conflict over Trump’s decision last month to impose contributions on aluminum and steel imports. Instead, the EU executive arm suggests duties in a choice of American products (ed. on which duties will be imposed) Including diamonds, motorcycles, yachts, home appliances, security glasses, playing cards, tobacco, poultry and other agricultural products.
Most face a 25%duty, but some will be hit at a rate of 10%, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. Several Member States had pushed to exclude whiskey, after Trump threatened to impose a 200% duty on European wine and champagne producers in response.
Earlier, von der Laien noted that the EU has previously been offered to reset duties on industrial products, including cars, if the US is doing the same, but Washington is not committed.
Now, Europeans are struggling to prevent the uncontrolled evolution of the conflict, with the US distinguishing the EU and China as two of the main goals of their commercial policy.
Trump promised yesterday to impose an additional 50% duty on Chinese imports in addition to the two separate duties – 34% and 20% – which had already announced, after Beijing announced that it would retaliate. These new duties will also come into force on Wednesday.
In his comments yesterday, Trump fought against European commercial policy, arguing that the EU has prevented access to US cars and agricultural products and demanding European countries to buy more energy from the US.
The EU “was created to actually damage the US to trade, that is why it was created,” said Trump, who reiterated his complaints that the US is paying for Europe’s defense, as the other NATO allies do not spend enough on defense.
Even so, Trump was not specific about the kind of concessions he is seeking and EU officials have difficulty working with their US counterparts. Von der Layen has not yet met Trump since he took up his duties.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefsovic has proposed that he is open to the debate of non -tariff issues, as the US has requested, as long as there is a mutual benefit for both sides. But he said that the value added tax, criticized by Trump, is an important source of revenue for Member States and the EU will not change this system.
Finance Minister Scott Bessed told Bloomberg television yesterday (7.4.25) that It does not expect agreements with countries prior to the entry into force of higher duties on Wednesday.
EU trade ministers who met in Luxembourg on Monday to formulate their response showed a readiness to develop a full range of countermeasures, including possible taxes to US technology companies, in response to sweeping duties that have been subjected to the world.
About $ 10 trillion has been deducted from the value of world shares from Trump’s presentation at Rose Garden last week, with investors valuing fears that the escalating trade war will cause a global recession.
Blackrock CEO Larry Fink said yesterday that most chief executives with whom he talks believe that The United States is already in recession, warning that stock markets could retreat further as Trump destabilizes the global economy.
In Luxembourg, yesterday, all 27 EU members supported the Commission’s approach to negotiate and prepare countermeasures in the event of the conversations failure, giving the Commission a steady mandate to proceed with its plan, senior EU diplomats said.
“While the EU remains open and prefers negotiations, we will not wait endlessly”, Sefcovic told reporters.