“It has been very difficult to deal with European Unionwhich was created with the main objective of taking advantage from the United States in the commercial part. (…) Our discussions with them are not going anywhere. So, I recommend imposing 50% of tariffs on the European Union As of June 1, ”Trump wrote on his social truth network.
Trump also denounced “the commercial barriershe Value Added Tax, the sanctions ridiculous against companies, non -tariff barriers, monetary manipulations and unjustified and unfair (judicial) persecutions against US companies. ”
The former president has repeatedly denounced the United States commercial deficit with Europewhich estimates between US $ 300 billion and US $ 350 billion.
According to data from the White House Commercial Representative (USTR), the United States Commercial Deficit with the European bloc rose rather to US $ 235 billion in 2024.
The European Commission questions those figures and talks about some US $ 160 billion and only € 50 billion if the US commercial surplus is integrated into terms of services.
Tariffs applied to European products current “reciprocal” customs rates.
Washington had initially planned to impose a 20%tariff on European products. However, stopped that measure for 90 days and left only 10%, waiting for the result of bilateral negotiations.
This pause would end, theoretically, in early July.