Just days before 50% tariffs were set to be imposed on the European Union, Trump agreed to delay these additional tariffs until July 9.
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.”
Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that he had received a call from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen requesting that tariffs be delayed as they continue with discussions, according to a report from WSJ.
In the social media post, Trump said that “it was my privilege to do so.”
“She said we will rapidly get together and see if we can work something out,” Trump told reporters, according to a report by WSJ.
Good call with @POTUS.
The EU and US share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship.
Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively.
To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 25, 2025
“The recent developments are a positive step toward greater certainty for North Carolina businesses,” said NC Chamber vice president of government affairs Jake Cashion. “Predictable and transparent trade policy gives job creators the confidence they need to invest, grow, and hire. The NC Chamber remains focused on advancing pro-growth policies that strengthen our competitive position. Extending federal tax relief, driving regulatory reform, and fast-tracking job-creating policies are essential to building strong, healthy communities across our state.”
Pushing back the implementation of the 50% tariffs on the EU is essentially a reversion to the original deadline set in place by Trump on April 9, when he imposed a 90-day suspension on reciprocal tariffs greater than 10% to allow time for trade negotiations, according to WSJ. At the time, Trump threatened to impose a 20% reciprocal trade tariff on EU imports absent a trade deal.
“Trade negotiations are ongoing and complex, and we continue to closely watch them to see how they develop and if there are new opportunities for North Carolina agriculture,” Steve Troxler, commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told the Carolina Jouranal. “Global markets are important to North Carolina farmers as more than 95% of the world population lives outside the United States.”