EU struggles for trade deal with U.S. by July 9 amid tariff tensions

15/6/2025 7:05

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated on Saturday the European Union's (EU) commitment to reach a "good" trade deal with the U.S. before July 9 during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.



In a post on social media platform X, von der Leyen said that she had a "good call with President Trump ahead of the G7 Summit."



The U.S. government's decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent took effect earlier this month, escalating a trade dispute that has drawn sharp concern from European producers, who warn the steep new duties could cause significant harm to the sector.



On May 26, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic made similar comments after Trump said talks with the 27-member bloc were "going nowhere" and threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on all EU imports from June 1. Following a call from von der Leyen, Trump then agreed to delay the planned tariff hike until July 9.



According to von der Leyen's post on Saturday, she and Trump also discussed the situations in the Middle East as well as in Ukraine during the phone call.