On the 12th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump announced that reciprocal tariffs of 30% would be imposed on the European Union (EU) and Mexico, starting August 1.
On that day, President Trump posted two letters containing this information on the social media platform Truth Social.
Earlier, when President Trump first announced the country-specific reciprocal tariff rates in April, he stated that a 20% tariff would be applied to the EU. However, he announced a new reciprocal tariff rate that increased by 10 percentage points on that day. President Trump adjusted the implementation of the reciprocal tariffs, originally scheduled to begin on the 9th of this month, to take effect on August 1. Since the 7th, he has been sending letters detailing the newly adjusted reciprocal tariff rates to the leaders of various countries.
The EU immediately urged negotiations. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, issued a statement that day, saying, “We are ready to continue collaborating to reach an agreement by August 1,” and “The EU has prioritized solutions through negotiations with the U.S., reflecting our commitment to dialogue, stability, and a constructive transatlantic partnership.”