The EU and the US are one step away from a historic trade agreement: Base tariff of 15%.

 

Brussels and Washington are seeking to seal a crucial trade deal that would set a base tariff of 15% for most European goods entering the United StatesThis agreement, the result of intense weeks of negotiation, seeks to defuse the threat of a much more severe tariff escalation that could have seriously affected the transatlantic tradeThe only condition for its entry into force is the final approval of the president. Donald Trump.

 

Deal Details: 15% with Key Exceptions

 

The agreement proposes replacing the high sectoral tariffs previously imposed by the United States, such as 25% on autos and 50% on aluminum and steel. This represents a significant improvement over Trump's previous warning, who had threatened to raise tariffs to 30% starting August 1 if a consensus was not reached.

 

In addition to the general tariff of 15%, the agreement includes the exemption from taxes for certain products, including aircraft, alcoholic beverages, and medical devices. In return for this commitment, the European Union pledges not to impose new tariffs or immediate retaliatory measures against US products. However, Brussels has prepared countermeasures on US goods valued at €93.000 billion should negotiations fail.

 

Context: From Threat to De-escalation

 

Until now, European imports had been subject to a general tariff of 10% imposed by Washington Since April, in addition to sector-specific surcharges. The possibility that Trump would raise this tariff to 30% was considered, according to diplomatic sources, a level "prohibitive for transatlantic trade".

 

The acceleration of negotiations in recent weeks has been influenced, in part, by the recent US agreement with Japan, which will serve as a model for the transatlantic pact and provides for a similar tariff regime.

 

The prevailing mood is one of caution, pending the final decision.

 

European diplomatic sources indicated: "Everything seems to suggest that Brussels and Washington are closer to an agreement with 15% tariffs on imports from the European Union to the United States, following the positive atmosphere created by the agreement with Japan. In any case, the final decision rests with US President Donald Trump."

 

From the European Commission, the official message emphasizes the willingness to negotiate and the defense of common interestsOn the United States side, there is still no definitive statement. Diplomats and media outlets alike insist that the final say, crucial to the agreement's entry into force, rests in the hands of Donald Trump, known for his unexpected U-turns on trade.