'A deal is a deal': Von der Leyen hits back at Trump's latest tariff threat

Published connected 05/05/2026 - 11:00 GMT+2•Updated 11:07

Ursula von der Leyen has deed backmost astatine Donald Trump's latest tariff threat, stressing the United States is constrained by a bounds that prevents it from expanding duties connected its own.

The US president shocked Europeans past week erstwhile helium abruptly threatened to rise tariffs connected EU-made cars from 15% to 25%, alleging non-compliance.

"A woody is simply a deal, and we person a deal. And the essence of this woody is prosperity, communal rules and reliability," von der Leyen said connected Tuesday successful Armenia.

"We privation from this enactment (to achieve) communal gain, practice and reliability. And we're prepared for each scenario," she added, hinting astatine imaginable retaliation.

The president of the European Commission, who oversees commercialized policy, said the bloc was "in the last stages" of implementing the pillar of the EU-US commercialized woody designed to destruct tariffs connected a wide scope of American products.

The authorities is being negotiated successful the European Parliament, wherever it has been antecedently delayed owed to Trump's forceful effort to prehend Greenland from Denmark. MEPs person amended the archetypal substance to fortify safeguards.

According to the associated connection published by Brussels and Washington past year, the US was meant to little tariffs connected EU-made cars upon the instauration of the legislation, alternatively than its last approval. At the aforesaid time, the US committed to an all-inclusive headdress of 15% connected EU goods, precluding the accumulation of further duties.

"The alignment with the agreed ceiling is inactive outstanding," von der Leyen said, demanding respect for the "different antiauthoritarian processes".

Speaking by her side, António Costa, the president of the European Council, said the 27 subordinate states "fully" supported the enactment of the Commission and its president.

Since Trump posted his menace connected Friday, Brussels has been seeking "clarity" from Washington astir the reasoning down it portion signalling its readiness to respond.

Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner for Trade, is expected to conscionable with Jamieson Lee Greer, the US Trade Representative, aboriginal connected Tuesday connected the sidelines of a G7 gathering successful Paris, France, to sermon the matter.

Trump's announcement has been linked to the comments precocious made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Iran had "humiliated" the US successful the war. Germany is the largest carmaker successful Europe and is heavy babelike connected exports.

Merz has denied immoderate transportation betwixt his remarks and the 25% tariff.