Von der Leyen maintains a conciliatory tone with Trump and postpones retaliation in the US.

BrusselsThe European Union does not lose hope with Donald Trump and wants to take advantage of every last moment to try to reach a trade agreement with the United States. Despite the White House's announcement this Saturday of increasing tariffs by 30% in the European bloc, Brussels maintains a conciliatory tone and insists that its priority is reaching an agreement to avoid an escalation of the conflict. Therefore, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced this Sunday that the European club is postponing the entry into force of the retaliation it has prepared in case negotiations with the US administration fail.

Specifically, the European Commission will postpone the increase in tariffs it has in the drawer until August 1st, awaiting the outcome of the trade war. That is, the same day Trump now says the tariff increase on European products imported by the United States will go into effect. Until then, Brussels intends to do everything it can to reach an agreement. "We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution," Von der Leyen insisted in statements to the media.

The EU has been considering tariffs in response to Trump for months, and it was planned that, in the event of a no-deal agreement, they would begin to be applied starting this coming Tuesday. These customs duties from the European bloc on US imports range from 10 to 25% and would affect transactions totaling 21 billion euros, according to the European Commission's own estimates. The list of products includes around 1,700 items, including all kinds of food, mattresses, clothing, and diamonds; as well as iconic brands of the American powerhouse, such as Levi's and Harley-Davidson.

The division in the EU

The EU's response was frozen by Trump's partial truce in the tariff war: the White House temporarily lowered customs duties to 10%, despite the initial target of 20%.

However, this 10% tax is still in place and, for example, Trump did not reduce the import tax on European cars, which particularly affects EU member states that are major exporters to the US. like Germany and ItalyFor this reason, these partners are pushing to close a deal quickly with the White House, even if it's not the one the European club would like to close. They are also underperforming exports to the United States, like France, and are prioritizing a good deal by closing it quickly and efficiently.

For its part, Spain also advocates avoiding an escalation of the conflict and under no circumstances cutting off dialogue with Trump. "We continue to support the European Commission for a negotiated solution," tweeted Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo. All these positions will be made clear again at the Trade Council this Monday in Brussels, where member states will discuss the next steps the EU should take in the trade conflict with the United States.