The European Union has once again delayed its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The countermeasures, initially scheduled to take effect on Tuesday, were implemented in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s initial import taxes on steel and aluminum.
The EU’s retaliation, which would have impacted €21 billion worth of U.S. goods, was first suspended in March. This pause has been extended until early August, von der Leyen announced during a press conference on Sunday.
EU trade ministers are slated to convene in Brussels on Monday to deliberate on the appropriate response.
This development follows a letter from President Trump to von der Leyen, outlining plans to impose 30% tariffs on EU imports starting August 1.
He cautioned that any retaliatory import duties from the EU against the U.S. would be met with increased tariffs exceeding 30%, threatening further escalation.
In a pre-recorded interview with Fox News aired on Saturday night, President Trump stated that while some countries were “very upset now,” the tariffs were generating “hundreds of billions of dollars” in revenue.
President von der Leyen told reporters on Sunday: “The United States has communicated potential measures that could take effect absent a negotiated resolution. Consequently, we will extend the suspension of our countermeasures until early August.”
“Concurrently, we will continue preparations for implementing countermeasures, ensuring our readiness,” she added.
The European Commission president emphasized the EU’s consistent preference for a negotiated solution.
“This remains our stance, and we will utilize the available time until August 1,” she affirmed.
The upcoming EU trade ministers’ meeting in Brussels will focus on determining the appropriate approach to take with Washington.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil stated on Sunday that “serious and solution-oriented negotiations” with the U.S. remain essential, but warned that failure would necessitate “decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and businesses in Europe.”
“Our offer of dialogue remains open, but we will not accept any terms,” Klingbeil told Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
His comments followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s call on Saturday for the European Commission, which negotiates on behalf of all EU member states, to “resolutely defend European interests.”
As of Saturday, the Trump administration has proposed tariff conditions on 24 countries and the EU, which comprises 27 countries.
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