US President Donald Trump has stepped back from his threat to impose hefty tariffs on European car imports, instead demanding the European Union ratify a trade deal by 4 July or face “much higher” tariffs. The ultimatum came in a social media post in which Trump expressed frustration over the pace of implementation.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had spoken with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and agreed to give the bloc until America’s 250th birthday to complete ratification. “Otherwise, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels,” he warned. The deal, struck at Trump’s Scottish golf course last summer, would reduce most EU tariffs on US goods to zero.
The climbdown follows six hours of formal talks in Brussels between MEPs, member states and the European Commission. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič reported “considerable progress”, while German MEP Bernd Lange indicated a deal was close, saying parliament would work “expeditiously” to honour both the “spirit and the letter” of the agreement.
One sticking point remains the inclusion of steel, which the EU wants taxed at 50%. MEPs are pushing for this, a demand the European Commission has sought since last July. Meanwhile, Cyprus, holding the rotating presidency of the Council, said it wished to maintain “positive momentum” ahead of further talks on 19 May.
The EU’s ratification process was suspended twice earlier due to Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and raise tariffs. However, von der Leyen said on Thursday that “good progress” had been made, adding on X: “We remain fully committed, on both sides, to its implementation.”
