Trump threatens to impose 50% tariffs on EU products: ‘Very difficult to deal with’
WASHINGTON — President Trump threatened Friday to impose a 50% tariff on all European Union products beginning June 1, saying the bloc has been “very difficult to deal with.”
“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The threat could be intended as leverage. The European Union’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, was set to have a call later Friday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, per multiple reports.
Trump imposed a 90-day pause on his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 9, leaving the door open for countries to negotiate with the US on a better tariff rate, while still leaving a 10% rate on all countries but China.
The president has only negotiated a deal with the UK and a preliminary deal with China during the 90 days so far, although negotiations are ongoing.
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” he said of talks with the EU.
“Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, have led to a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year, a number which is totally unacceptable.”
There could be room for the EU to negotiate in the window before June 1. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News, “I would hope that this would light a fire under the EU.”
Trump indicated last week that time could be running out to strike deals with all countries one-on-one, and his administration could be rolling out package rates soon.
The UK deal came to a 10% tariff on imports from the US ally, along with a promise to open the market to American agricultural goods. The agreement was said to be a “template” for how future deals will look, with Trump’s economic team saying no deals will go below the 10% rate.
The trade war with China — in which the rates got as high as 145% — was temporarily resolved in trade talks held in Switzerland, with the levy going down to 30% on China.
The rate was calculated by adding up the 10% base rate with a 20% tariff in response to Beijing not adequately stopping the flow of fentanyl.
The EU threat comes hours after Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on Apple’s iPhones if it doesn’t start manufacturing in the US.
