Former President Donald Trump announced an extension recently on his proposed 50% tariff on the European Union. Today, July 9, 2025, has become the new effective date. Advance notice that the first indicated start date would be June 1. This new delay will allow more time to cultivate backroom deal-making between the United States and the 27-nation bloc.
At a recent White House event to sign the executive order, Trump set his sights higher. He shared his grievances about the EU, which he said “has always been super difficult to work with. His remarks are symptomatic of larger tensions in current transatlantic trade relations. On Friday, Trump made his first comments about the tariff situation on Truth Social. In his own words, this is how important a good deal would be.
“I just said, it’s time that we play the game the way I know how to play the game.” – Donald Trump
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed delight at the extension. She boasted about having a “great conversation” with Trump. She suggested that the extra time would enable the two sides to “come to a better agreement.” Von der Leyen emphasized the importance of the relationship between the EU and the U.S., stating, “The EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship.”
The decision to delay the tariffs comes after a previous meeting between Trump and von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2020. Indeed, their talks at the time focused on resolving trade differences, showcasing a decades-long bilateral conversation focused on smoothing over disputes.
Rather Trump’s claim that the EU is “having a hard time” in negotiations strikes a chord with many of these leaders. Greece’s Prime Minister, the head of a NATO ally, dismissed Trump’s NATO defense spending target as “very difficult.” The backdrop of these negotiations highlights just how difficult it is to balance pure economic interests with international relations.