President Donald Trump announced Sunday that a proposed 50% tariff on European Union goods will be postponed until July 9, 2025, allowing more time for trade negotiations with the bloc.
The decision followed a phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who, according to Trump, expressed a strong desire to engage in “serious negotiations.”
“I told anybody that would listen, they have to do that,” Trump said while speaking to reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, ahead of his return to Washington. He added that von der Leyen committed to “rapidly get together and see if we can work something out.”
The delay comes just days after Trump threatened to impose the tariff starting June 1, citing stalled talks and calling the EU “very difficult to deal with” in a social media post on Friday.
However, the conversation between the two leaders appeared to ease tensions. Trump later confirmed the postponement on Truth Social, stating, “I agreed to the extension July 9, 2025. It was my privilege to do so.”
Von der Leyen, in a statement, emphasized the strength of the transatlantic trade partnership, calling it “the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship.” She affirmed Europe’s readiness to move forward, saying, “To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.”
Nzubechukwu Eze
