Customs duties: Donald Trump gives the EU until July 4 to implement a trade agreement very favorable to the United States

The American president has once again threatened Europe. Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he would give the European Union until July 4th to implement the trade agreement reached with the United States, after a call with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. After this deadline, the customs duties imposed by Washington on the EU would “immediately skyrocket to much higher levels,” warned the American president on his Truth Social network.

The European Parliament approved the trade agreement between the United States and the EU, concluded last summer at Turnberry, Scotland, at the end of March, with conditions. However, internal procedures within the bloc involve negotiations with the member states before it is formally implemented. In the Turnberry agreement, the EU committed to lifting the customs duties on most American imports in exchange for a cap of 15% on the customs duties imposed by Trump on European products.

“I have patiently waited for the EU to fulfill its part of the Historic Trade Agreement we reached (¦), the largest trade agreement ever concluded,” wrote the President of the United States. “The EU promised to fulfill its part of the deal and (¦) eliminate its customs duties to ZERO,” he added. “I have agreed to give them until the 250th anniversary of our country, otherwise, unfortunately, customs duties (practiced in the US) would immediately skyrocket to much higher levels.” The United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of their Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4th, considered the country’s birth date.

Duties on European vehicles

On Friday, Donald Trump threatened the EU with new customs surcharges on cars and trucks exported to the United States. In response, Brussels assured that the EU was meeting its part of the agreement, and that Washington had been kept informed “throughout the procedures” aimed at ratifying it legislatively.

Discussions between the Twenty-Seven and the European Parliament to ratify the trade agreement with the United States have made progress, but have not reached a conclusion at this stage, according to information from Brussels from Wednesday night to Thursday.

The Cypriot government, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, reported “progress on a number of elements,” and indicated its intention to continue this “positive momentum” during a new negotiation session with MEPs scheduled for May 19.