On the 23rd, U.S. President Trump stated that the EU is "difficult to deal with" in trade, and trade negotiations between the U.S. and the EU have made "no progress." Therefore, he suggested imposing a 50% tariff on goods imported from the EU starting June 1.
He posted on the social media platform "Truth Social" claiming that the primary purpose of forming the EU was to "take advantage of the United States" in trade.
According to media reports, Trump made this statement after trade negotiations between the EU and the U.S. delegation on the 23rd.
Trump accused the EU of setting "strong trade barriers, value-added tax, unreasonable corporate penalties, non-tariff trade barriers, currency manipulation, and unfair and unreasonable lawsuits against American companies," leading to a significant trade deficit with the EU each year, which is "completely unacceptable."
EU Urges Trump to Show Respect Instead of Threatening
Following Trump's threat to impose a 50% tariff on EU products, the European Commission urged the U.S. to show respect rather than threats in trade negotiations.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, responsible for EU trade and economic security, emphasized that the EU is committed to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with the U.S., and the European Commission, which oversees the trade policies of the 27 EU countries, has always negotiated with sincerity with the U.S.
He wrote on the social media platform X: "The trade relationship between the EU and the U.S. is incomparable; we should respect each other instead of resorting to threats. We are always ready to defend our interests."
According to data from the United States Trade Representative's office, in 2024, the U.S. had a goods trade deficit with the EU of $235.6 billion (about 9,969 billion ringgit), an increase of 12.9% compared to 2023. According to the European Commission's data, in 2023, the EU had a goods trade surplus of 157 billion euros with the United States, while carrying a service trade deficit of 109 billion euros, resulting in an overall trade surplus of 48 billion euros.