US President Donald Trump may soon announce whether he will accept a trade agreement with the EU or impose 30% tariffs next week, as originally planned, Politico reported, citing European diplomats.
A day earlier, the American leader positively assessed the progress of trade negotiations between the US and the EU. He noted that the US and the EU are holding serious discussions on the terms of the trade agreement.
Trump announced the introduction of 30% tariffs on all imports from the EU from August 1, in addition to the already existing 10% tariffs on European steel, aluminum and cars. In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an attempt to reach an agreement by August 1, no matter what.
European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič confirmed his intention to achieve the elimination of US tariffs, but at the same time has already prepared a list of goods imported from the US worth €72 billion per year that could be subject to retaliatory duties if negotiations fail.