Donald Trump Sets July 4 Deadline For EU To Ratify US Trade Deal Or Face Higher Tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump set a deadline for the European Union to ratify and implement a trade deal with the U.S. by July 4, warning that tariffs would “immediately jump to much higher levels” if the bloc did not act.

Trump said he agreed to give European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen until “our Country’s 250th Birthday” and posted that “their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels,” after what he described as a “great call” with von der Leyen.

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The BBC reported that under the agreement, U.S. tariffs on exports from the EU would face a 15% tariff, while Trump had threatened tariffs of 30% on European goods.

The Guardian said the EU and the U.S. struck a deal last July setting tariffs on most European goods at 15%, but Trump was dissatisfied with the speed of implementation.

The BBC added that the deal requires endorsement by the 27 member states, after conditional approval from the European Parliament in March with safeguards.

Von der Leyen told the BBC that the bloc was making “good progress” toward the early-July timeline, and she also posted that “We remain fully committed, on both sides, to its implementation.”

The Guardian reported that von der Leyen said the bloc had made “good progress” towards ratifying the deal by early July and added “We remain fully committed, on both sides, to its implementation.”

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Politico reported that talks between EU lawmakers and governments on implementing the U.S. trade deal ended without a breakthrough after around six hours of negotiations.

Politico quoted MEP Karin Karlsbro saying, “It is important that we get a Trump-proof agreement in place before we have a final deal,” while also noting that the outcome risks provoking Trump’s threatened 25% auto tariff.

DW said the deal must be negotiated with all EU member states before it can be implemented by the bloc, and Cyprus would hold talks with European lawmakers on May 19 while vowing “positive momentum.”

Politico said Trump’s threat to hike auto tariffs to 25% if the EU fails to put the transatlantic accord into effect would increase pressure on the European Commission to get enabling legislation passed.

The BBC reported that the European Parliament’s chief negotiator Bernd Lagne said lawmakers and governments were making good progress but added “there is still some way to go,” with negotiators set to meet again on 19 May in Strasbourg.

Politico also said EU lawmakers had dug in their heels after Trump’s threats earlier this year to annex Greenland and after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Trump’s original tariffs in February.

The National Post said the EU agreed to eliminate levies on American industrial goods in exchange for a 15% tariff ceiling on most European products, and it described the Supreme Court decision overturning Trump’s previous tariff regime as forcing the administration to reimpose many levies using different authorities.

Politico warned that the entire trade deal could be at risk if a deal isn’t reached, quoting U.S. ambassador Andrew Puzder saying, “If a deal isn’t a deal, then I think the United States would walk away from it.”