World

EU Delays Tariff Response as Trump Threatens 30% Import Tax

By Jake Beardslee · July 13, 2025

The European Union announced it will postpone the implementation of its trade countermeasures against the United States until early August, in an effort to buy more time for negotiations over new tariffs introduced by the U.S.

During a press conference in Brussels on Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged a letter from the U.S. government warning that a 30% tariff on European exports could take effect on August 1 if a deal is not reached.

“We will therefore also extend the suspension of our countermeasures till early August,” von der Leyen stated. “At the same time, we will continue to prepare further countermeasures so we are fully prepared.”

Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU’s preference remains a diplomatic resolution. “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution,” she said, pledging to use the time until August 1 to seek one.

The EU initially delayed its retaliation—valued at €21 billion ($25 billion)—in mid-April, pausing planned tariffs on U.S. goods until July 14. The EU’s original countermeasures were introduced in response to a 25% tariff imposed by the Trump administration on all steel and aluminum imports.

Amid renewed tariff threats from President Donald Trump, the EU has also drawn up a “second potential list of countermeasures” and is working to diversify its trade relationships. Von der Leyen cited a recent free trade agreement with Indonesia as an example of these efforts.

The United States and the EU are deeply intertwined in trade, with nearly $976 billion in goods exchanged between them in 2024, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

“Few economies in the world match the European Union’s level of openness and adherence to fair trading practices,” von der Leyen remarked on Saturday.