The first - as it turned out - blow came last April, when US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of tariffs of 20% on goods imported into the US from the European Union. Those tariffs may have remained in theory in the months that followed, for the most part, but they sparked a negotiation race on the Washington-Brussels axis that is still raging... with an August 1 deadline in sight.

Donald Trump struck again yesterday, when he announced tariffs of 30% on imports from the EU. According to what he says in a letter he sent to the head of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen, a letter he also posted on the Truth Social network, starting from August 1st all imports of European origin will be subject to horizontal tariffs of 30%, with a few sectoral exceptions that will be subject to 25%. In statements he made today, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett left open the possibility that new agreements on tariffs could emerge before the beginning of August. These tariffs will be imposed if the American president does not receive a deal that he considers good enough. As you know, the talks are continuing , Hassett said, essentially confirming what the Commission leadership had said earlier in the day. We prefer a negotiated solution. That remains the case and we will use the time we have until August 1st, Ursula von der Leyen said for her part, essentially putting any European countermeasures on hold until it is clear where exactly the ball with the percentages will land.

At the same time, however, and while negotiations are underway, European leaderships are sending their own messages - of varying intensity and determination.

More war-ready than others, French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the European Commission to defend the interests of the European Union decisively, speeding up the preparation of credible countermeasures and using all the tools at its disposal. According to the Guardian, Macron is now calling on the EU to be ready even for a trade war with the US.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was also harsh in his criticism, speaking of unjustified tariffs that destroy prosperity.

Along with the President of the European Commission, France shares the same very strong disapproval at the announcement of horizontal 30% tariffs on EU exports to the United States from August 1st.

This announcement comes after weeks of intense engagement by the Commission in...

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 12, 2025

However, unlike Macron, who chose to raise the tone, other European leaders preferred to keep it lower.

Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni , who is known for her good relations with Donald Trump, appeared confident that a fair deal with the US could be reached. It would not make sense to start a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic, the Italian prime minister said, while Irish leader Simon Harris also moved in a similar vein, stating that there was no need to escalate it.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Soof argued, for his part, that the EU must remain united and decisive with the aim of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with the US, while Berlin would argue, through Economy Minister Katerina Reiche, that the European Union must now, in the time remaining (ed. until early August), negotiate a solution with the United States in a pragmatic manner.

Trade between the European Union and the United States amounts to around 1.4 trillion euros per year. However, only three countries – Germany, Italy and Ireland– export more to the United States than they import.

The 30% that Trump is now threatening is not perceived by Europeans as a literal target but rather as a means of pressure on the part of the US while negotiations are still ongoing. However, behind the scenes there is indeed irritation and concern regarding the percentages that the American president is constantly raising.

Just a few hours ago, EU policymakers had begun to see a 10% tariff on all goods exported to the United States as a practically possible option and were hoping to negotiate exemptions for certain products. However, things changed with Mr. Trump’s announcement on Saturday of a single 30% tariff and his threat to raise that rate even higher if the European bloc retaliated, the NY Times writes, highlighting that the concern is even greater for German automakers, Italian wine exporters and Irish pharmaceutical companies.