The European Union(EU) has urged the United States to engage in trade talks based on mutual respect rather than threats. This development comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on all goods imported from the EU. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič emphasized the importance of cooperation, stating, “The EU’s fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both. EU-US trade is unmatched & must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests.”
Šefčovič made these remarks after a call with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Trump expressed frustration with the pace of ongoing EU-US trade negotiations, reiterating his plan to raise tariffs on June 1. “Our discussions with [the EU] are going nowhere,” Trump wrote on social media, adding that there would be no tariffs for products built or manufactured in the US.
European leaders have warned that higher tariffs would be detrimental to both sides. Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin said, “We do not need to go down this road. Negotiations are the best and only sustainable way forward.” France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Saint-Martin emphasized the need for de-escalation, stating, “We are maintaining the same line: de-escalation, but we are ready to respond.”
German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche stressed the importance of a negotiated solution, saying, “We must do everything to ensure that the European Commission reaches a negotiated solution with the United States.” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressed support for the EU’s strategy in trade talks, noting that “we have seen before that tariffs can go up and down in talks with the US.”
The EU is one of the US’s largest trading partners, with over $600 billion in goods exported to the US last year. Trump’s complaints about Europe focus on the trade deficit, which he attributes to policies he claims are unfair to American companies. The US and EU are engaged in a delicate trade negotiation, with both sides seeking a mutually beneficial agreement.