Trump pressures EU to cut tariffs or face new duties, FT reports

U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing the European Union to unilaterally reduce tariffs on American goods or face the reimposition of steep duties, according to a report by the Financial Times on Friday.

The push adds renewed urgency to fraught trade negotiations between Washington and Brussels as both sides seek to avert escalating tensions.

According to the report, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to inform European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on Friday that a recent “explanatory note” submitted by the EU to guide ongoing discussions falls short of U.S. demands. The U.S. is reportedly insisting on tariff concessions before it will continue talks aimed at avoiding additional 20% "reciprocal" tariffs.

The Financial Times also noted that while the EU has proposed establishing a jointly agreed framework for negotiations, the two sides remain far apart, and prospects for near-term agreement appear slim. Reuters has not independently verified the contents of the FT report, and neither the European Commission nor the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued immediate comments.

The backdrop to the current talks includes a series of U.S.-imposed tariffs on EU goods: 25% on cars, steel, and aluminum since March, and an additional 20% on a broader range of products introduced in April. The White House later halved the 20% rate, giving negotiators a 90-day window, expiring July 8, to reach a comprehensive trade agreement.

In response, the 27-nation European Union paused its plans to impose retaliatory tariffs and proposed a mutual elimination of duties on industrial goods, seeking to de-escalate the dispute.

The standoff has added pressure to broader transatlantic economic relations and cast doubt on the prospects for a stable trade environment as both sides navigate domestic political considerations and global economic headwinds.

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