US President Donald Trump has set a July 4 deadline for the European Union to ratify a tariff agreement between the two trading partners.
In a Truth Social post following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump said the EU must fulfil its side of the trade deal agreed in Turnberry, Scotland, and cut tariffs to zero.
He warned that levies would rise to much higher levels if the EU does not move forward.
Von der Leyen said the EU remains fully committed to implementing the agreement, which would cap tariffs on many EU imports at 15% and remove duties on certain US industrial products.
The latest warning follows Trump’s earlier threat on May 1 to impose 25% tariffs on EU car and truck imports. No official documentation of that measure has been published.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, criticised the car and truck tariff threat as unacceptable, while also saying the EU remains on track to finalise key provisions in June.
EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič also met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during a G7 summit in Paris, saying work was continuing at both political and technical levels.
The European Parliament approved key parts of the agreement in March, but final ratification still requires negotiations with member governments. A third round of talks is scheduled for May 19.
