Trump Sets Ultimatum for EU to Sign Trade Deal

President Donald Trump said he has given the European Union until the United States’ 250th anniversary to finalize a trade agreement with Washington or face higher tariffs, BBC News reported.

Trump and von der Leyen initially reached a trade agreement in July 2025. (Photo: European Commission Facebook)

Following a phone conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, Trump said the EU had until “our Country’s 250th Birthday” to conclude the deal, warning that tariffs would otherwise rise significantly.

Von der Leyen later said the bloc was making “good progress toward tariff reduction” ahead of Trump’s deadline.

Hours after Trump’s remarks, a U.S. trade court ruled that the administration’s latest 10% global tariffs were not justified under U.S. trade law, potentially opening the door to additional legal challenges.

EU lawmakers also voted that they would only support zero tariffs on U.S. goods if European products made with steel and aluminum were excluded from America’s 50% tariffs on those metals.

The agreement still requires approval from all 27 EU member states.

Trump and von der Leyen initially reached a trade agreement in July 2025, but implementation stalled after negotiations between EU governments and lawmakers failed to produce a final compromise.

Under the proposed arrangement, most EU exports to the United States would face a 15% tariff, lower than the 30% tariff level Trump had previously threatened.