Topline
President Donald Trump on Thursday delayed tariffs on European Union exports until July 4 to give the EU time to meet the terms of the trade deal reached with the U.S. last year.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Military Mother’s Day Event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump announced the decision after what he described as a “great call” with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Trump said last week he was raising tariffs on vehicles imported from the European Union from 15% to 25%, accusing the EU of failing to comply with the trade deal.
Trump did not mention the vehicle tariffs in his post Thursday, but said that if the EU doesn’t meet the terms of the agreement by July 4, “unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels.”
Von der Leyen criticized Trump’s threat to hike car tariffs on Tuesday and said the EU is in the “final stages of implementing remaining tariff commitments,” adding, “the U.S. has the commitment . . . where alignment with the agreed ceiling is still outstanding.”
The agreement reached in July last year included 15% tariffs on most EU goods, plus promises from the EU to invest in the American economy and eliminate tariffs on most U.S. industrial goods.
Tangent
Trump said he discussed “many topics” with von der Leyen, “including that we are completely united that Iran can never have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Key Background
The trade deal reached with the European Union last year has faced several roadblocks, including the Supreme Court’s ruling in February preventing Trump from using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to invoke so-called reciprocal tariffs. The European Union has yet to officially ratify the deal, and leaders have repeatedly accused the U.S. of breaching the agreement, including when Trump announced he would hike global tariffs from 10% to 15% in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling. Prior to the July 2025 agreement, Trump had threatened 50% tariffs for the EU.
Further Reading
Trump Announces New 25% Tariffs On European Cars And Trucks—These Exporters Will Be Hit Hardest (Forbes)