EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday she had a "good call" with US President Donald Trump after his threat of 50% tariffs on the bloc, pledging to move "swiftly" on a trade deal. Both sides agreed to suspend tariffs until July to avert a trade war.
EU chiefUrsula von der Leyensaid Sunday she held a "good call" with PresidentDonald Trumpfollowing his threat of50-percent tariffs on the bloc,vowing to move "swiftly" to reach a trade deal with Washington.
"The EU and US share the world's most consequential and close trade relationship," the president of the European Commission, which conducts trade policy for the 27-nation bloc, posted on X.
"Europeis ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively," she wrote, adding: "To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9."
Trump said that he would pause his threatened 50 percent tariffs on the European Union until July 9, after a "very nice call" with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
Von der Leyen "just called me... and she asked for an extension on the June 1st date, and she said she wants to get down to serious negotiation," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey.
"And I agreed to do that," he added.
Brussels and the United States have been negotiating in a bid to avert an all-out transatlantic trade war, and had agreed to suspend tariff action on both sides until July.
But Trump dramatically upped the stakes on Friday, complaining that talks with the 27-nation EU were "going nowhere" and threatening a 50-percent tariff on all EU imports to the United States starting June 1.
The US leader said Friday he was "not looking for a deal" with the EU, repeating his oft-stated view that the bloc was created to "take advantage" of the United States.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil separately on Sunday called for "serious negotiations" with Washington, saying he had spoken with his US counterpart Scott Bessent about the matter.
"We don't need any further provocations, but serious negotiations," Klingbeil, who is also Germany's vice chancellor, told Bild newspaper.
"The US tariffs endanger theUS economyjust as much as theGermanand European economy," Klingbeil warned.
Trump has hit the bloc with three sets of tariffs: 25 percent on steel and aluminium and on automobiles, followed by a 20-percent "reciprocal" levy on all imports -- which has been suspended pending talks, though a baseline 10 percent remains in force.
The EU's trade chief Maros Sefcovic, who held talks with his US counterparts on Friday, responded to Trump's latest outburst by saying the bloc was "committed to securing a deal" but that trade ties should be based on "mutual respect, not threats".
Brussels has announced plans to hit US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) with tariffs if negotiations fail to produce to deal.
The US tradedeficitin goods with the European Union was $236 billion in 2024.
But when taking account of services, where American firms are dominant, the European Commission calculates that the US trade deficit stood at 50 billion euros (57 billion dollars).
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
