With no guarantee of an EU-U.S. trade deal, Europe keeps its options open
US President Donald Trump offers statements at the “AI race” AI Summit at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on the Washington DC on July 23, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
A trade agreement between the European Union and the United States may be close, but it continues to prepare retaliation measures without any guarantee.
In a statement on Wednesday, an EU diplomat is currently a 15% obligation rate, which is currently about 4.8%, is the main scenario for imports to the USA for EU imports. However, there may also be some exemptions that are still solved.
According to Diplomat, the EU can reduce its taxes in the USA.
The negotiations between the United States and the EU were difficult with pressure in front of the deadline for August 1, which will see that imports from the EU to the United States were hit with a tariff of 30%. Although this is lower than 50% that Trump threatened earlier, it will probably affect both EU and the United States businesses and economies.
“Trump, which was quiet from time to time before, would be a positive result, according to the risk of much higher tariffs, such as 30%, even 50%,” Trump Holger Schmieding, Berenberg chief economist.
The agreement is not over
However, the agreement has not yet been made in any way, an EU diplomat to CNBC “final decision [is] President Trump’s hands. “
A second EU official also seemed hesitant and reported that the CNBC was “very optimistic”, which states that the media has begun an agreement.
“The contacts between the two sides continue, but there is nothing concrete until President Trump talks about his mind. Everything is still open.” He said.
Trump’s administration hit a similar tone on Wednesday. According to a report of Reuters, when a 15% tariff rate potential was asked, the White House press secretary Kush Desai said that the discussions on any potential trade agreement should be considered as “speculation”.
Trump is a bad fame to make last -minute heart changes and quick decisions, The last example was about the US-Japan Trade Agreement at the beginning of this week. During a meeting between Trump and the Japanese delegation, according to a photo published in X, a card summarizing the agreement at Trump’s desk was inconsistently and arrangements. Dan ScavinoWhite House Deputy Chief of General Staff.
Despite the European markets on Thursday, despite the possibility of an agreement, it surrounds the uncertainty that the EU-US agreement may resemble the stay.
Preparation of the EU for the agreement scenario
Meanwhile, the EU is still working on counter -measures if the US tariffs come into force next week.
First of all, they are set to include retaliation tariffs that may enter into force only days after the US duties. In accordance with the new plan of the EU, which is previously prepared goods, will be combined in a list of 93 billion euros ($ 109.4 billion).
It also happened It is a widespread conversation about the EU’s distribution of the so-called “Nuclear Option”, the so-called “Anti-Comparation Instrument”.
If it is forced, US suppliers may face limited access to the EU market. For example, they cannot participate in public tenders in the block, there may be pavements in exports and imports, and foreign direct investment may be limited.
In his statement to the EU diplomat CNBC, France seems to have a wide vote of votes for coercion, “France has so far” if a “agreement is not made”, “for coercion.”
