US President Donald Trump speaks during the Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 4, 2026.
Kylie Cooper | Reuters
President Donald Trump has said he will give the European Union until July 4 to ratify its trade deal with the US, threatening to raise tariffs to “very high” levels if the 27-nation bloc fails to do so.
In an article on Social Reality last Thursday, Trump issued a new trade deadline during a “good phone call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in which he said both leaders agreed that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon.
The discussion took place shortly after the US president promised to raise tariffs on cars and trucks from the EU to 25%, accusing the organization of not complying with the terms of the agreement reached on his golf course in Scotland last July.
“I have been patiently waiting for the EU to deliver its side of the Historic Trade Deal we agreed on in Turnberry, Scotland, the biggest Trade Deal, ever! It was promised that the EU would deliver its side of the Agreement and, according to the Agreement, reduce its Costs to ZERO!” Trump said.
“I agreed to give him until the 250th Birthday of our country or, unfortunately, their costs will rise to very high levels,” he added, referring to July 4.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump was indicating that the tariffs would apply to all EU goods or that the increase would only apply to cars. His latest comments suggest he is backtracking on last week’s threat to impose higher tariffs on cars and trucks imported into the EU.
The EU’s von der Leyen said via X that the bloc remains “absolutely committed” to implementing a trade deal. He added that “there is good progress on the tax reduction at the beginning of July.”
‘I’m still going’
Hours after Trump’s trade threats against the EU, a US trade court ruled that Trump’s latest 10% tariffs on the world were unfounded under US law.
It marks a new step in the Trump administration’s trade policy after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the president cannot impose double-digit tariffs.
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after the announcement of a trade agreement between the US and the EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein Reuters
The European Parliament’s chief trade negotiator, Bernd Lange, said on Thursday that EU lawmakers and governments had made “good progress” to finalize a deal that would reduce their US tariffs to zero, but added that “there is still some way to go.”
Trade negotiators are scheduled to meet again on May 10 for the next round of talks.
Speaking to Bloomberg earlier in the week, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he expects the EU to keep “its side of the trade deal” agreed in July last year.
