It took the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, barely an hour to respond to the letter from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announcing 30% tariffs on European imports. The European response is restrained, although it does not cease to warn of harsh consequences if the threat launched from Washington materializes: “Imposing 30% tariffs on EU exports would cause a disruption to supply chains, businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,” Von der Leyen pointed out in her first response, in which she declared herself willing to negotiate until August 1.
Von der Leyen remains committed to the script she set when Trump launched the trade war: negotiate to the bitter end while preparing a response in case there's no deal. Both ideas are present in her statement, but the emphasis she places on them has shifted."We will take all necessary measures to safeguard the EU's interests, including adopting proportionate countermeasures if necessary," the German states.
A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2025
We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1.
At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures.
After von der Leyen—who heads the EU's trade authority—spoke, other senior EU officials began to emerge. Such as António Costa, President of the European Council, criticized the tariffs for"creating uncertainty and harming economic growth" and then expressed his support for the Commission "to reach a fair agreement with the United States."
Free and fair trade drives prosperity, creates jobs and strengthens supply chains.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) July 12, 2025
Tariffs are taxes. They fuel inflation, create uncertainty and hinder economic growth. We will continue to build strong trade partnerships worldwide.
The EU remains firm, united and ready to…
Then, as if in an agreed-upon cadence, it was the turn of the heads of government. Among them, the Spanish leader, Pedro Sánchez, with words very similar to Costa's, both in content and order:"Unjustified tariffs destroy prosperity. [...] We Europeans constitute the largest trading bloc in the world. Let us use that strength to reach a fair agreement."
Economic openness and trade create prosperity. Unjustified tariffs destroy it.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 12, 2025
That is why we support and will continue to support the Commission in its negotiations to reach an agreement with the US before August 1.
Together, we Europeans form the largest bloc… https://t.co/cLX3kH5gOW
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to continue negotiations to reach a trade agreement with the US and avoid a trade conflict. Following the announcement of the 30% tariffs on European Union products, the leader issued a statement stating that"the Italian government is closely following the ongoing negotiations between the EU and the US" and that it fully supports "the efforts of the European Commission, which will be intensified in the coming days."
Meloni: “A trade dispute would be pointless.”
"In the current context, it would make no sense to trigger a trade dispute between the two sides of the Atlantic," the statement said."Now it is essential to remain focused on the negotiations, avoiding polarizations that would complicate reaching an agreement."
French President Emmanuel Macron has also supported the Commission's negotiating bid "to reach a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1." But his message, longer than others, goes a step further:"It is more than ever up to the Commission to affirm the Union's determination to firmly defend European interests. This includes accelerating the preparation of credible countermeasures, mobilizing all the instruments at its disposal, including the anti-coercion mechanism, if no agreement is reached by August 1."
With the President of the European Commission, the France partage une très live désapproval face à l’annonce de droits de douane horizontaux de 30 % visant les exportations de l’Union européenne vers les États-Unis à compter du 1er août.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 12, 2025
This annonce survient après des…
The US administration had warned the Commission before Trump published his letter on the Truth Social network, according to sources within the EU Executive Branch. In fact, the letter is dated Friday, July 11, although it was released this Saturday.
Von der Leyen's response highlights the mention of"patients," a group that has rarely appeared in other communications. The reference is a nod to the pharmaceutical sector and to countries like Ireland, which export a significant amount of medicines to the US. Furthermore, Washington has opened an investigation into that sector, and Trump has even indicated that he is considering imposing tariffs of 200%.
Von der Leyen's response even includes a paragraph seeking to dismantle Trump's arguments in his letter. He speaks of the EU as a closed market. The Commission President points out that"few economies in the world match the Union's level of openness and commitment to fair [international] trade practices." "Consequently, the EU has prioritized negotiations with the US, reflecting our commitment to dialogue, stability, and a constructive transatlantic partnership."
As the weeks passed, the outlook for Brussels grew darker. On Monday, after the phone call between Trump and Von der Leyen the day before, there was hope for an agreement"within days," and even the hope that the letter would not arrive. But as the calendar fell, the Republican president's liturgy took over, and the letter arrived with 30% tariffs on imports.
Now the focus shifts to the meeting of European trade ministers next Monday. Both the content of the letter and possible responses will be discussed there. The first decision to be made is what happens with the retaliation that has been suspended since April, when a package of additional tariffs was applied to products imported from the United States worth around 20 billion euros. That package was frozen for three months to allow for dialogue, and the suspension expires on July 15.
Another pending issue in European counterclaims is what to do about the response to the falsely called reciprocal tariffs. The Commission proposed a list of US imports to be sanctioned for approximately 91 billion euros. After public consultation, with submissions from states and companies, this amount has been reduced, but it is believed to be ready, although Brussels has not published the final measure.
