According to the British daily Financial Times, quoting three people close to negotiations, Europeans and Americans are about to conclude a trade agreement which would impose customs duties of 15 % on European imports, similar to the agreement that Donald Trump has just concluded with Japan.
According to diplomats, EU negotiators also put pressure for such a price to also be applied to the automotive sector, for example. Today, cars and spare parts are still subject to customs duties of 25 %.
50 % taxes are currently applied to steel and aluminum. They will remain in force if certain quotas are exceeded, according to declarations of a source at the Bloomberg news agency.
“It’s been a month since the Pentagon is plunged into total chaos”: in four months, a sixth adviser from Pete Hegseth leaves his functions
According to the Financial Times, the two parties would also give up customs duties on certain products, such as planes, spirits and medical equipment.
Today, in addition to customs duties on steel and aluminum as well as car cars and parts, a general customs right of 10 % is in force on most EU products. President Trump threatens to impose a general taxation of 30 % from August 1.
The diplomats interviewed, however, pointed out that it was difficult to predict the result, because President Donald Trump will still have to approve the final agreement. The EU is however optimistic about the possibility of an agreement.
On these commercial questions, added Emmanuel Macron, alongside Mr. Merz, “we were in permanent contact […] With our other European colleagues and with the president of the European Commission to follow, stimulate, coordinate our response today to the price offensive that has been launched. “
Mr. Macron insisted on their common will “to give stability and to have the lowest possible prices, but also, obviously, to be respected as partners that we are”.
On Wednesday, the head negotiator of the European Union, Maros Sefcovic, who defends the position of the 27 members of the Union, must speak with his American counterpart Howard Lungick.
“EU’s priority is to reach a negotiated agreement with the United States,” a spokesman for the European Commission also said on Wednesday before the August 1st deadline set by the Trump administration.
The European Commission has prepared a set of countermeasures in the event that a satisfactory agreement does not intervene. These include two lists totaling more than 90 billion American products on which it could introduce customs duties. In addition, customs duties on the services would be envisaged.
“Crime of the century”, “huge threat to our country”: Trump shares a false video of Obama handcuffed and arrested thanks to AI (video)