U.S. EU trade deal: Donald Trump slaps 15 per cent tariffs on European goods, auto. What is new in it? Is China next?

Time of India

9 hours ago

United States and the European Union finalized a comprehensive trade deal that places a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods entering the U.S., up from earlier proposed rates as high as 30 per cent.
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US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Sunday announced they had reached a deal to end a transatlantic tariffs standoff and avert a full-blown trade war. The agreement came as the clock ticked down on an August 1 deadline for the European Union to strike a deal with Washington -- or face an across-the-board US levy of 30 percent. Trump told reporters the deal involved a baseline levy of 15 percent on EU exports to the United States -- the same level secured by Japan -- including for the bloc's crucial auto sector, which is currently being taxed at 25 percent. Now all eyes are on the world's second largest economy - China.The US President also said the bloc had agreed to purchase "$750 billion worth of energy" from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country. Negotiating on behalf of the EU's 27 countries, von der Leyen's European Commission had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services.The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario.While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.Had the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Brussels was also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target.Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by August 1. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had said Sunday the August 1 deadline was firm and there will be "no extensions, no more grace periods".U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration was close to reaching a trade deal with China, but gave no other details. "We're very close to a deal with China. We really sort of made a deal with China, but we'll see how that goes," Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland.A1. While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.A2. US President Donald Trump also said the bloc had agreed to purchase "$750 billion worth of energy" from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country.