On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a request from the European Union to delay the implementation of his proposed 50% tariffs on EU goods, pushing the deadline back by one month to early July.
“I had a call today with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who asked for an extension on the June 1st deadline for the 50% tariff targeting trade with the EU. I approved the new date — July 9, 2025 — and was happy to do so,” Trump announced on Truth.Social, adding that negotiations with the EU would begin “quickly.”
Trump’s message followed von der Leyen’s own comments hours earlier, in which she described the discussion as “good” and said Europe was prepared to move forward with negotiations “swiftly and decisively.”
The President had previously warned of escalating the trade conflict by enforcing a 50% tariff on EU imports starting June 1. It remains unclear whether this figure includes or is separate from the 20% tariffs also expected to begin in early July.
Trump’s pressure on the EU stemmed from his frustration over what he viewed as slow-moving trade talks.
However, Sunday’s update marked yet another case of Trump initially announcing aggressive tariff measures and then quickly reversing course.
In April, he had introduced a range of “reciprocal” tariffs aimed at key trading partners, only to postpone them for three months shortly afterward.
Trump had already implemented significant tariffs on Chinese imports during a protracted trade conflict with Beijing, although both countries agreed to ease tensions earlier in May.
