The European Union has responded to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50% tariffs on all goods.
According to BBC, the EU’s Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said that the 27-member bloc is “committed” to securing a deal with the United States based on respect, not threats.
After a few relatively calm days following the trade deal with the UK, Trump on Friday, May 23, 2025, warned of imposing a 50% tariff on all the goods from the EU to the US.
He wrote on Truth Social, “Our discussions with them (the EU) are going nowhere," adding that there would be no tariffs for products built or manufactured in the US.”
‘Mutual respect, not threats’
Maros Sefcovic, after a call with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, said, “The EU's fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both. EU-US trade is unmatched & must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests."
European governments have also warned Trump that the higher tariffs would not impact the EU only but the US too.
Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin asserted, “We do not need to go down this road. Negotiations are the best and only sustainable way forward.”
French Foreign Minister Laurent Saint-Martin warned that they are maintaining the same line of “de-escalation” but are ready to respond.
As per US government figures, the EU is one of the largest trading partners of America, with more than $600bn (€528bn; £443bn) worth of goods sold to Washington in 2024 and $370bn worth bought.
