Trump Delays 50% EU Tariff After Call with Ursula von der Leyen

President Donald Trump has announced a delay in the implementation of a 50% tariff on European Union goods, following a phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday. The new deadline for potential tariff enforcement is now set for July 9, 2025, offering both sides more time to engage in meaningful trade talks.

The tariff—originally scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2025—targeted various EU products, including goose exports, and would have been one of the steepest imposed by the U.S., surpassing the 30% tariff on Chinese goods that was recently reduced to facilitate ongoing negotiations with Beijing.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the conversation as a “privilege,” confirming his decision to postpone the measure and adding that von der Leyen had expressed a strong interest in beginning discussions quickly.

Von der Leyen echoed the sentiment in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “The EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship. Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively. To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.”

Just days prior, Trump had criticized the EU for being “very difficult to deal with,” claiming that trade talks were “going nowhere.” He has long argued that the U.S. trade deficit with the EU—a result of importing more goods than it exports—is “totally unacceptable.”

While the EU has offered a proposal to mutually cut tariffs to zero, Trump has maintained a firm stance on keeping at least a 10% baseline tax on most imports.

With the July 9 deadline in place, attention now turns to whether both sides can find common ground in time to avoid a damaging trade conflict that could have far-reaching implications for the global economy.