US President Donald Trump backed away on Sunday from his threat to slap 50% tariffs on imports from the European Union next month, agreeing to extend the deadline until July 9 for talks between Washington and the 27-nation bloc to produce a deal.
Trump said he made the decision to postpone the levies following a conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
“I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!,” the US President added.
Last Friday, Trump said he was recommending a 50% tariff go into place on June 1 because of frustration that talks with the EU were not moving quickly enough. The threat roiled global financial markets and intensified a trade war that has been punctuated by frequent changes in tariff policies toward US trading partners and allies.
Trump, who has repeatedly expressed disdain for the EU and its treatment of the United States on trade, relented after the European Commission President told him on Sunday that the EU needed more time to come to an agreement.
She asked him during a call to delay the tariffs until July, the deadline he had originally set when he announced new tariffs in April. Trump told reporters he had granted the request.
