CNN
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President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has agreed to give the European Union an extension until July 9 on tariffs, after a “very nice call” from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“(Von der Leyen) said she wants to get down to serious negotiation,” Trump told reporters at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey. “July 9 would be the day, that was the date she requested. Could we move it from June 1 to July 9? I agreed to do that.”
“She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” he added.
Trump was set to implement a 50% tariff on the EU on June 1. Trump in April imposed a 20% reciprocal tariff on the EU.
After speaking with reporters, Trump posted on Truth Social that “talks will begin rapidly.”
Earlier in the day, von der Leyen had posted on X that there was a “good call” with Trump.
“The EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship,” von der Leyen posted. “Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively. To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.”
Trump has taken a particular issue with “non-monetary trade barriers,” as he has repeatedly called them, as well as countries or trading blocs that run trade deficits with the United States. Those occur when the US purchases more from another trading partner than that country purchases from the US.
Last year, the United States ran a $236 billion trade deficit with the EU, according to US Commerce Department data.
