Half time in EU/US trade bout - what's the score 45 days in?

Published connected 24/05/2025 - 9:00 GMT+2•Updated 10:51

It's 45 days aft US President Donald Trump announced a 90-Day region successful nan waste and acquisition warfare he launched against partners crossed nan globe, but negotiations betwixt nan EU and nan US look not to person moved connected 1 inch successful that time.

A week aft some sides sent each different letters with their respective offers, Trump threatened connected his societal media Truth to enforce “a consecutive 50% tariffs connected European Union” starting connected 1 June 2025.

“The European Union, which was formed for nan superior intent of taking advantage of nan United States connected TRADE, has been very difficult to woody with,” Trump wrote, adding: “Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans Companies, and more, person led to a Trade Deficit pinch nan U.S. of much than $250,000,000 (sic) a year, a number which is wholly unacceptable.”

The EU has ever rebuffed US calculations of nan waste and acquisition deficit, pointing to a US surplus connected services and deducing arsenic a consequence that there's a waste and acquisition surplus of nary much than €50 cardinal for nan EU.

Currently, nan US imposes 25% tariffs connected EU aluminium, alloy and cars and broad 10% tariffs connected each EU imports to nan US.

Last week, nan Commission, which negotiates connected waste and acquisition deals connected behalf of nan 27 personnel states, received a missive from nan US management to which it replied.

Officials who saw some offers saw small dream of seeing nan negotiations advancement by nan clip nan 90-Day region play ends, not only because nan US is caught up successful galore negotiations pinch its partners astir nan world, but besides because some offers were radically acold apart.

The EU is proposing zero-to-zero tariffs connected each business equipment and purchases of US liquefied natural gas, AI exertion and non-sensitive agri-products specified arsenic soybeans. It besides hopes its connection to collaborate pinch nan US management connected immoderate communal issues vis-à-vis China, specified arsenic overcapacities, could thief move negotiations forward.

Diplomatic sources told Euronews location are slim chances that nan EU will negociate to return to nan level of tariffs that existed earlier Trump’s waste and acquisition war, moreover if a mostly of EU personnel states is still hoping to do so.

The Commission itself has projected a €95 cardinal package of countermeasures to “rebalance” nan waste and acquisition relations if nan speech fails. It would travel connected apical of a first database of US products worthy  €21 billion that would beryllium deed by EU tariffs and which was suspended aft Trump announced a truce.

Maroš Šefčovič has 3 times travelled to Washington to meet US counterparts Howard Lutnick and US waste and acquisition typical Jamieson Greer. The EU is hoping that nan US mightiness move nan dial by agreeing to a gathering betwixt Šefčovič and his US counterparts successful June connected nan juncture of an OECD gathering successful Paris, connected location turf.

For weeks, nan Commission has been saying that meetings were taking spot astatine “technical” level betwixt some sides of nan Atlantic. But nan speech due has not started.