Officials were blindsided by Trump’s surprise Saturday declaration that a blanket 30 percent tariff would be applied, and any additional raises the EU implemented in retaliation would be matched. Staff were called in to work at short notice and a statement refusing to rule out countermeasures was issued in von der Leyen’s name.
Envoys from EU capitals will meet for a Foreign Affairs Council focused on trade on Monday, during which they will express positions on what the Commission should do next. Two diplomats told POLITICO they remained optimistic that an agreement could be reached before the August 1 deadline.
“We have as you know a two-track approach. We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution. This remains the case,” von der Leyen said.
Over the weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Brussels to take a tougher line against the U.S. following the announcement of the tariffs.
“It is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union’s determination to resolutely defend European interests,” he wrote online. “In particular, this implies speeding up the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilising all the instruments at its disposal, including anti-coercion, if no agreement is reached by August 1st.”
The countermeasures — which could affect €21 billion of U.S. products like soybeans, motorcycles and orange juice — were due to take effect from 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Their suspension comes after the bloc vowed it would respond following Trump’s announcement Saturday.
Asked whether the EU could consider deploying its Anti-Coercion Instrument — or “trade bazooka” — to hit American banks and businesses in response, von der Leyen said the measures “were created for extraordinary situations — we are not there yet. This is very important. This is now the time for negotiations. But this also shows we are prepared for all eventual scenarios,” she said.
This article has been updated.
