Foreign news agencies reported that on Sunday, July 13, 2025, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced that the European Union would postpone its retaliatory measures against U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs while negotiations continue toward a trade agreement aimed at avoiding further tariff escalations from President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a formal letter to the EU announcing that the U.S. would impose a 30% tariff on all imports from the 27 EU member states starting August 1, 2025. This move has thrown months of ongoing negotiations into disarray.
“The United States has sent us a letter outlining measures that will take effect if no agreement is reached. Therefore, we will extend our suspension of retaliatory tariffs until early August,” von der Leyen told reporters. “At the same time, we are preparing to proceed with countermeasures so we can be fully ready.”
The EU Commission president reaffirmed that the EU has always preferred negotiation over confrontation, and this stance remains unchanged. The EU will use the time until August 1 to seek a resolution through talks.
Von der Leyen’s latest statement has sparked hope that Trump’s tariff notice may not derail the progress made in previous rounds of negotiation.
Earlier this year, the EU announced plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports worth over $21 billion in response to Trump’s announcement of global tariffs on steel and aluminum at a rate of 20%. However, in April, the EU decided to delay the implementation of its countermeasures to allow room for trade discussions. The EU’s original deadline for enforcing its response was set for the overnight period from Monday into Tuesday (July 15), but the recent decision by von der Leyen has postponed this deadline.
“From the beginning, we have worked hard, and now we are ready to respond with countermeasures if necessary. We are prepared and capable of defending our interests,” von der Leyen stated.
