In a press release that icily took observe of Trump’s missive, von der Leyen stated the EU was able to hold speaking to the U.S., whereas additionally contemplating “proportionate countermeasures.”
“We’ll take all vital steps to safeguard EU pursuits,” stated von der Leyen. “Imposing 30 % tariffs on EU exports would disrupt important transatlantic provide chains, to the detriment of companies, shoppers and sufferers on each side of the Atlantic.”
Fee employees had been abruptly informed to place weekend plans on maintain and report for obligation, whereas nationwide capitals instantly went into disaster mode to try to assess the following transfer.
5 EU diplomats confirmed that ambassadors would convene at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday for emergency talks, forward of a gathering of the bloc’s commerce ministers in Brussels on Monday.
The EU had been pushing for a deal that will have locked in a one-way baseline tariff at 10 % on items coming into the U.S. from Europe. It was additionally searching for aid for particular sectors, together with automobiles, plane and spirits.
Time getting tight
“The letter may learn like a decree, however everybody will discover the date of Aug. 1,” one of many diplomats informed POLITICO, suggesting {that a} full-scale commerce warfare can nonetheless be averted. “If it actually had been a decree it will enter into power tomorrow. This provides us three weeks for negotiations that had been at a really far superior stage already.”
