Washington, May 26, 2025 – The Europe Today: Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States will postpone the imposition of a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union, pushing the implementation date from June 1 to July 9, in order to allow time for renewed negotiations with the bloc.
The decision followed a phone conversation earlier in the day with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. According to Trump, von der Leyen expressed a strong desire to engage in substantive trade talks. “She wants to get down to serious negotiations,” Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, before departing for Washington.
“I told anybody that would listen, they have to do that,” Trump added, noting that von der Leyen had agreed to convene discussions promptly to explore the possibility of a resolution.
Trump had previously threatened to impose the steep tariffs on Friday via a social media post on Truth Social, criticizing the EU as being “very difficult to deal with” and claiming that negotiations were “going nowhere.” The tariff hike was scheduled to take effect on June 1.
However, the tone shifted following the Sunday call, which Trump said helped ease tensions. “I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so,” he wrote on Truth Social shortly after speaking to reporters.
In a statement following the call, von der Leyen emphasized the importance of the transatlantic economic relationship. “The EU and the U.S. share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship,” she said. “Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively. To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.”
The move to delay tariffs is seen as a temporary reprieve in an ongoing trade dispute that has tested relations between Washington and Brussels. Both sides have signaled a willingness to pursue a negotiated settlement in the coming weeks.
