President Donald Trump said Thursday that goods from the European Union will face higher tariffs unless the 27-member bloc ratifies last year’s trade agreement by July 4, an extension that appears to delay an earlier threat to raise auto duties this week. The announcement, made in a social media post following what Trump described as a “great call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, indicated that the European Parliament now has several more weeks to finalize the deal.
The president had said the previous Friday that European autos would be subject to a 25% tariff starting this week. The new deadline appears to back away from that immediate escalation, although it was unclear whether the higher rates would apply to all EU goods or only to automobiles. In his post, Trump expressed displeasure that the European Parliament had not yet approved the trade framework agreed to last year, a deal that has been further complicated by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in February.
“A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!” Trump posted. “I agreed to give her until our Country’s 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels.” The July 4 date coincides with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The original trade framework, reached last year, would have set a 15% tariff on most imports from the EU. After the Supreme Court ruled that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency as the basis for imposing the initial tariffs, the administration has instead been levying a 10% tariff while it investigates trade imbalances and national security issues. The White House has signaled that it aims to replace those tariffs with new ones that would recoup lost revenues.
The ruling has complicated the administration’s trade enforcement strategy, raising questions about the long-term viability of using unilateral tariff threats to extract trade concessions. The EU has not publicly commented on the new deadline, and von der Leyen’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The European Parliament’s approval is required under the bloc’s internal procedures for the deal to take effect, but lawmakers in Brussels have yet to schedule a vote.