The Financial Times reports that the United States and European Union are closing in on a deal that would impose 15% tariffs on European imports, potentially heading off a threat issued by President Donald Trump earlier this month to hit the EU with a 30% tariff rate on August 1.
- FT notes: "Both sides would waive tariffs on some products, including aircraft, spirits and medical devices... [sources] said they understood the 15 per cent minimum tariff would include those existing duties, so Brussels views the deal as cementing the status quo. Tariffs on cars, which are currently 27.5 per cent, would therefore fall to 15 per cent."
- FT adds: "The bloc will continue to prepare a possible €93bn package of retaliatory tariffs, set at up to 30 per cent, in case they cannot agree a deal by August 1, the people said. A US official said the situation was fluid and subject to change."
- Bloomberg reported earlier that, absent a trade deal by August 1, the EU would "quickly hit the US with 30% tariffs on some €100 billion ($117 billion) worth of goods." The first wave of countermeasures would combine "an already approved list of tariffs on €21 billion of US goods and a previously proposed list on an additional €72 billion of American products into one package".
- Trump said on Truth Social earlier: "I WILL ONLY LOWER TARIFFS IF A COUNTRY AGREES TO OPEN ITS MARKET. IF NOT, MUCH HIGHER TARIFFS!"