The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Friday the imposition of a 50% tariff on all products imported from the European Union, except for those manufactured in the United States.
The measure, which will take effect on June 1, represents a new and aggressive chapter in the Republican leader's trade policy and threatens to exacerbate tensions between the two economic powers.
The announcement has been accompanied by an incendiary message on his platform Truth Social, filled with accusations against the EU.
“The European Union, which was formed with the main purpose of taking advantage of the United States in TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” stated the American president in one of his recurring thoughts about the community group.
He then reported what he describes as unfair practices by the European bloc:
“Their powerful trade barriers, VAT taxes, ridiculous sanctions on companies, non-monetary trade barriers, monetary manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against American companies, among other things, have led to a trade deficit with the United States of over 250,000,000 dollars a year, an utterly unacceptable figure.”
Finally, he justified the imposition of the new tax:
“Our conversations with them are not progressing! Therefore, I recommend a direct tariff of 50% on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. No tariff will be applied if the product is produced or manufactured in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
A further step in the tariff escalation
This new rate adds to others already implemented since April 2025: a general tariff of 20% on European exports, as well as 25% tariffs on key sectors such as steel, aluminum, and automobiles.
Machinery, agricultural products, aircraft, semiconductors, and energy goods have also been affected, although the latter are currently exempt.
According to estimates, nearly two-thirds of the EU's goods exports to the U.S.—valued at about 370 billion euros—are being taxed.
The European response: containment and strategy
The European reaction has been, for now, restrained.
The European Commission has prepared a list of American products worth €95 billion that could be subject to tariffs if negotiations fail.
However, it has suspended its implementation while diplomatic contacts continue.
The European Commissioner for Trade, Maros Sefcovic, is engaging in discussions with U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, to try to curb the escalation.
Sefcovic has already warned that he expects "a fair solution" and has noted that they are working on areas such as Chinese overcapacity, technological cooperation, and reducing strategic dependencies.
“These are the key areas we are working on,” stated the commissioner after a meeting with the ministers of the 27.
However, there is a growing certainty in Brussels that some of Trump's tariffs are here to stay, such as the 25% on steel and aluminum, and the 10% of the so-called "reciprocal tariff".
Unequal economic impacts
The economic impact of this new trade war will be uneven within the bloc.
Germany, Ireland, and Italy are emerging as the most vulnerable countries due to the volume of their exports to the U.S. Spain, while affected, maintains a more moderate trade relationship and, in some sectors, even has a trade surplus.
According to the European Central Bank, a generalized tariff of 25% could reduce eurozone GDP growth by up to half a percentage point.
Threats to break the trade truce
Donald Trump had already announced last week, during a business roundtable held in the United Arab Emirates, that he might soon break the trade truce established just over a month ago.
The leader warned that "in the next two or three weeks," the White House would begin officially notifying the affected countries about how much they will need to pay to trade with the United States, regardless of whether they have finalized any bilateral agreements.
“We have 150 countries that want to reach an agreement at the same time, but we do not have the capacity to meet with all of them,” he stated, acknowledging an operational limitation that he believes compels him to take unilateral actions.
The president argued that his administration simply does not have enough personnel or the necessary time to negotiate individually with all the nations affected by its tariff policies.
This recognition introduces a significant shift in the narrative that has so far been upheld: that of a country in a position of strength able to negotiate favorable conditions one by one.
From the "Day of Liberation" to the threat of chaos
The origin of this commercial strategy dates back to April 2, a date that Trump dubbed "Liberation Day."
That day, the White House announced an ambitious policy of "reciprocal tariffs," targeting over 150 trading partners, with the intention of rebalancing the trade balance and protecting the American industry.
The measure included tariffs of up to 145% on certain imported products, affecting both countries with which the United States has a trade deficit and others deemed strategically relevant.
However, just a week later, on April 9, Trump temporarily suspended the implementation of these tariffs for 90 days, allowing the affected nations to negotiate new agreements with his administration.
It was a self-imposed truce intended to be pragmatic, but it now appears to be coming to an early end.
The president himself has confirmed: “I assume they could appeal the measure, but overall I believe we will be very fair”, he said while referring to future tariffs, but warning that the timeline for negotiations is drastically shortening.
In the case of the European Union, the recent announcement highlights that the truce with Europe has come to an end.
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