7/14/2025–|Last update: 18:17 (Mecca time)
The European Union Trade Commissioner, Marush Shafthevich, said on Monday that the bloc and the United States are close to reaching a good summary of the two parties in their commercial talks.
“The feeling prevailing on our part is that we are very close to reaching an agreement,” said Shaficovic before a meeting with the European Union Trade Ministers in Brussels.
He added that the 30% customs duties that threatened US President Donald Trump threatened to impose on the European Union that would practically eliminate trade.
Potential
Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing to enhance its cooperation with other countries affected by the customs duties imposed by Donald Trump, after a series of new threats faced by the Union and other commercial partners of the United States.
Bloomberg quoted unnamed sources that communications in countries, including Canada and Japan, may include coordination.
The move comes at a time when the talks between the European Union and the United States have been long, and they continue to stumble on several issues, including cars and customs duties on agricultural products.
Member States were briefed on the status of talks on Sunday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjwxzinxtw
The depth of cooperation
Today, Monday, the European Union’s competition official, Theresa Ribera, stated that the Union is looking to deepen trade agreements with India and other countries in the Asia Pacific region.
“We need to explore the extent and depth of cooperation in the Pacific region with other countries,” Ribera told Bloomberg TV channel from Beijing, as she visits her to concentrate climate conversations with Chinese officials.
It shed light on the continuation of trade talks between the European Union and India, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
On the previous day, the European Commission President, Ursula von der Line, stated that the Union will extend the suspension of counter -combat measures against the United States until the first of August to allow more talks.
These measures were stretched in response to the customs duties that Trump previously imposed on steel and aluminum, before they were suspended for the first time, and it was scheduled to be returned to normal midnight on Tuesday.
“At the same time, we will continue to prepare more counter -procedures, so we are fully prepared,” Von der Line told reporters in Brussels on Sunday.
The sources reported that the current list of counter measures will include about 21 billion euros (24.5 billion dollars) of American goods, while the European Union has another list ready for about 72 billion euros (84.19 billion dollars), in addition to some export controls, which will be presented to member states today Monday .
Coercion control
Von der Line also stated that the European Union tool to combat coercion, which is the most powerful commercial tool in the Union, will not be used at the present time, and said: “The ACI is designed for exceptional cases. We have not yet reached this stage.”
In a post on social media, in response to Trump’s announcement, French President Emmanuel Macron called for accelerating preparations to take reliable counter measures, including the coercive anti -coerced tool, in the event that an agreement was not reached by August 1.
German counselor Friedrich Mirz said on Sunday evening that the imposition of customs duties by 30% will negatively affect exporters in the largest economy in Europe if a negotiating solution to the commercial conflict is not reached.
Mirz added that he was coordinating closely with other leaders to ensure that customs duties do not enter into force, and the conservative leader told ARD, “This requires two things: the unit in the European Union and good communication lines with the American president.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutsv84yvfq
Economists in the Goldman Sachs Group, including Sven Stein, wrote in a memorandum that the proposed customs tariff rate of 30%, in addition to the current sectoral fees and an expected tax on basic commodities, will raise the increase in the actual American tariff rate on the European Union to 26 percentage points, and if applied and sustainable, this will lead to a decrease in the total GDP of the euro region A cumulative rate of 1.2% until the end of 2026, as the GDP will be more affected.
Negotiating
Economists in Goldman Sachs wrote: “The European Union is likely to respond with a 30% comprehensive customs tariff gradually from the day of the application of the new American definitions, which increases the risk of more commercial escalation,” however, the recent threat “may be a negotiating tactic”, so economists adhere to their basic hypothesis that stipulates the agreement on the levels of current customs tariffs, including 10% on All goods and 25% on steel, aluminum and cars.
Trump sent messages to a number of his commercial partners, preparing the proposed customs tariff levels last April, calling them to more talks.
In a letter published on Saturday, Trump warned the European Union that he will face customs duties by 30% starting next month if better conditions are not negotiated.
Trump confirmed to reporters at the Andrews Joint Base in Maryland on Sunday that the European Union is holding trade talks with the United States.
The European Union had sought to conclude an initial agreement with the United States to avoid imposing higher customs duties, but Trump’s message undermined the recent optimism in Brussels on the possibility of reaching an agreement at the last minute.
Other countries, such as Mexico, who were also negotiating with the United States, were surprised by receiving similar messages.
In addition to the comprehensive tax scheduled for next August, Trump also imposed 25% fees on cars and spare parts, in addition to the weakness of this percentage on minerals.
The president is working to impose sectoral fees in other fields, including medicines and semi -conductors, and recently announced the imposition of customs duties by 50% on copper.
Any agreement at this stage will not automatically protect the European Union from these sectoral measures, but the bloc continues to seek preferential treatment in the industries that are likely to be affected.
