--- title: E.U. Delays Retaliatory Measures on U.S., Hopes For Deal description: “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution," said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. canonical: https://time.com/7301953/trump-tariffs-eu-mexico-national-security-threats-warning/ author: Olivia-Anne Cleary article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-07-12T16:10:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-07-13T22:35:00.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: E.U. Delays Retaliatory Measures on U.S., Hopes For Deal og:description: “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution," said the president of the European Commission. og:url: https://time.com/7301953/trump-tariffs-eu-mexico-national-security-threats-warning/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcc7bad5a8a88aac1/6998c83e9fbc7c7212d9a41c/GettyImages-2210746605.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3348 og:image:height: 1883 og:image:alt: President Trump Meets With Visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni At The White House og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: E.U. Delays Retaliatory Measures on U.S., Hopes For Deal twitter:description: “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution," said the president of the European Commission. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcc7bad5a8a88aac1/6998c83e9fbc7c7212d9a41c/GettyImages-2210746605.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # E.U. Delays Retaliatory Measures Against U.S. In Hopes of Reaching a Deal by Aug. 1 After Trump Announces 30% Tariff > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. 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Updated: Jul 13, 2025 10:35 PM UTCPublished: Jul 12, 2025 4:10 PM UTC  President Donald Trump is pictured in the Cabinet Room of the White House on April 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump is pictured in the Cabinet Room of the White House on April 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee—Getty Images  by [Olivia-Anne Cleary](https://time.com/author/olivia-anne-cleary/)  ## Olivia-Anne Cleary Cleary is an editor at TIME, based in the London bureau. Updated: Jul 13, 2025 10:35 PM UTCPublished: Jul 12, 2025 4:10 PM UTC The European Union (E.U.) will extend its suspension of retaliatory measures on U.S. goods, which were set to take effect in the coming days, in an effort to continue negotiations and hopefully procure a deal with the Trump Administration before the U.S. starts charging its [higher tariffs](https://time.com/7222082/what-are-reciprocal-tariffs-who-might-be-impacted-by-trump-plan/) on Aug. 1. [Speaking at a news conference](https://youtu.be/rkY5UkqhnLQ) on Sunday, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, referenced the letter Trump had sent to the E.U., in which he announced his intention to impose a 30% tariff on E.U. products sent into the U.S., separate from all sectoral tariffs. “We will therefore also extend the suspension of our countermeasures till early August. At the same time, we will continue to prepare further countermeasures so we are fully prepared," von der Leyen told reporters. “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution. This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now till the 1st of August." Meanwhile, European leaders have spoken out in support of the European Commission's approach, but have urged action if negotiations fall through. "If a fair negotiated solution does not succeed, then we must take decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and companies in Europe," [German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said](https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/eu-must-be-ready-decisive-action-over-us-tariff-hike-germany-finance-minister-2025-07-13/) on Sunday. "Our hand remains outstretched, but we will not go along with everything." French President Emmanuel [Macron has also spoken out](https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1944068012799143938), encouraging a strong defense of "European interests." "France shares the same very strong disapproval at the announcement of horizontal 30% tariffs on E.U. exports to the United States from August 1st," he said via social media on Saturday. "With European unity, it is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union's determination to resolutely defend European interests. In particular, this implies speeding up the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilising all the instruments at its disposal, including anti-coercion, if no agreement is reached by August 1st."  President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen addresses media at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on July 13, 2025. Thierry Monasse—Getty Images Trump shared the tariff news on Saturday via his Truth Social platform, as he [continued posting letters](https://time.com/7301399/trump-tariff-deadline-countries/) sent from the U.S. to other countries lining out [trade deals](https://time.com/7300389/trump-trade-deals-tariff-letters-deadline/) and tariffs. In letters to the E.U. and Mexico, delivered on Friday, Trump set a 30% tariff for both and referred to their respective trade deficits with the U.S. as a “major threat” to national security. Addressing Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump made reference to the initial tariffs he placed on the neighboring country upon his return to the White House, when he said Mexico was largely responsible for the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. He acknowledged that Mexico has since “been helping” to secure the border, but said its actions are “not enough.” “Mexico has still not stopped the cartels, who are trying to turn all of North America into a narco-trafficking playground. Obviously I cannot let that happen,” Trump said. “Starting 1 August, we will charge Mexico a tariff of 30% on Mexican products sent into the United States, separate from all sectoral tariffs.” As he has stipulated elsewhere, Trump added that “there will be no tariff” if Mexico opts to build and manufacture products within the United States instead. He went on to say that if Mexico successfully challenges the cartels and stops “the flow of fentanyl” into the U.S., then an adjustment to the tariffs will be considered. In what has become somewhat of a hallmark of these trade negotiation letters, Trump signed off with the statement: “You will never be disappointed with the United States of America.” Addressing the tariffs in a [statement shared on its official government website](https://www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/mexico-has-begun-negotiations-with-u-s-to-protect-companies-and-jobs) on Saturday, Mexico said its delegates had told U.S. officials a day prior that the new tariff rate would amount to “unfair treatment” of which Mexico did not agree to. **Read More**: [_Trump Blows Past His Own Tariff Deadline and Sends Warning Letters to More Countries_](https://time.com/7301399/trump-tariff-deadline-countries/) Meanwhile, in his letter to the E.U., Trump delivered the same promise of a 30% tariff, citing that the U.S. has one of “its largest trade deficits” with the bloc. Trump has long taken issue with the E.U. In 2018, during his first term in the White House, [when asked about tariffs](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-full-interview-60-minutes-transcript-lesley-stahl-2018-10-14/), Trump said that “nobody treats us much worse than the European Union” and argued the bloc was “formed” to “take advantage of” the U.S. In this new letter, Trump said the relationship between the U.S. and the E.U. “has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal.” When delivering his levy of a 30% tariff on E.U. products sent into the United States, separate from all sectoral tariffs, Trump issued a warning that “goods transshipped to evade a higher tariff will be subject to that higher tariff.” Trump also issued a stark warning against any retaliatory measures. “The E.U. will allow complete, open-market access to the United States, with no tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large trade deficit,” Trump said. “If, for any reason, you decide to raise your tariffs and retaliate, then whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 30% that we charge.” Trump went on to say that the tariffs “may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your country.” Before issuing a lengthier response on Sunday, von der Leyen had offered a brief reaction in the immediate aftermath of Trump's public sharing of the letters. “A 30% tariff on E.U. exports would hurt businesses, consumers, and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,”[ she said via social media](https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1944032511929332201) on Saturday. “We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1\. At the same time, we are ready to safeguard E.U. interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures.” The negotiations between the E.U. and the U.S. have been rocky, to say the least, since Trump’s return to the White House. In May, Trump [accused the E.U.](https://time.com/7288483/trump-european-union-tariff-threat-trade-war-concerns/) of stalling trade talks. "Our discussions with them are going nowhere," he said, threatening to place a "straight 50% tariff" on the E.U. starting June 1\. After a phone call with the president of the European Commission, Trump reneged and agreed to go back to the July 9 deadline. (Trump started sending out his trade agreements and letters on July 9, his initial tariffs-related deadline, but the White House has said the higher tariffs will not go into effect until August 1.) **Read More**: [_Trump Threatens Extra 10% Tariff for Countries ‘Aligning’ Themselves With ‘Anti-American’ BRICS Policies_](https://time.com/7300395/trump-tariffs-threat-brics-anti-american-concerns/) Over the past five days, Trump has announced a slew of higher levies against countries, including a 35% tariff for Canada and a 25% tax on goods imported from South Korea and Japan. Trump unveiled his initial [“reciprocal” tariffs](https://time.com/7274651/why-economists-are-horrified-by-trump-tariff-math/) on April 2, setting a 10% base charge for most countries, with some receiving additional higher rates. Amid [recession fears](https://time.com/7274531/trump-tariffs-is-the-us-heading-into-a-recession-stock-market-fears/) and[ concern from world leaders](https://time.com/7275834/trump-and-vance-have-accidentally-united-europe/), Trump granted a 90-day extension for most countries, delaying the start date for all but the 10% levy, to allow time for negotiations. Now, as the recently-announced August 1 start date looms, leaders within the E.U. are avidly watching the trade negotiations take place. “We trust in the goodwill of all stakeholders to reach a fair agreement that can strengthen the West as a whole, given that—particularly in the current scenario—it would make no sense to trigger a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic,” read a statement from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office on Saturday, following Trump’s announcement of the 30% tariff. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7301953/trump-tariffs-eu-mexico-national-security-threats-warning/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7301953/trump-tariffs-eu-mexico-national-security-threats-warning/"},"headline":"E.U. 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