The European Union’s passive stance in trade negotiations regarding mutual tariffs has disappointed U.S. President Donald Trump.
This was reported by the European publication Politico, citing a senior U.S. official.
According to the official, during the first 13 virtual and in-person contacts between the EU authorities and the White House administration, Brussels did not present any proposals to Washington.
“The President was deeply disappointed with the lack of momentum from their side; they just met and talked but did nothing. Then he sent them a letter, and everything changed – they understood he was serious, and they realized they would be at serious risk if they didn’t sit at the negotiation table,” said the official.
The official added that the U.S. administration privately gave a much harsher assessment of the EU’s actions than Trump did publicly.
It’s worth noting that on July 27, after meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. President Trump stated that Washington and the EU had agreed on a 15% tariff on all European goods imported into the U.S., while the EU would not impose tariffs on U.S. goods. Prior to this, the Trump administration had announced plans to impose new trade tariffs of 30% on all EU exports. Trump called the agreement reached with the EU “the largest” in history.
