The European Union has announced a 90-day pause on countermeasures against the United States, a day after President Donald Trump unveiled a similar pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs.
“We want to give negotiations a chance,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
This move comes after the EU initially declared it would begin collecting higher duties on US imports, retaliating against the steel and aluminium tariffs announced by Trump in March.
Just after the EU finalized its response, Trump stated he would pause his reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries for 90 days, citing that more than 75 nations had contacted the White House to open trade talks.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU’s pause is not indefinite. “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in,” she warned.
The bloc of 27 countries has been hit by three waves of US tariffs: 25% on steel and aluminium exports, 25% on car exports, and 20% reciprocal tariffs on other goods. While Trump paused the reciprocal tariffs, he maintained that the industry-specific levies and a 10% flat-rate minimum tariff on all nations would remain.
Although Trump’s abrupt reversal brought temporary relief in Europe, analysts and investors remain wary. The unpredictable, stop-start nature of US trade policy under Trump could deter investment and slow global economic growth.
“Clear, predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function,” von der Leyen said in a separate statement.
Despite the pause, European Commission industrial strategy chief Stéphane Séjourné advised EU companies to stay “calm and cautious.” He added, “The only certainty is that instability will remain for the next four years.”
While the EU maintains its commitment to constructive negotiations with the US, it is also working to diversify trade relationships, focusing on partnerships that account for 87% of global trade, according to von der Leyen.Olaf Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission on trade matters, said the bloc had “pressed the pause button to allow space for negotiations” and to consult with member states on the best path forward.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has taken a harsher tone toward the EU, stating the bloc was created to “screw” the US.
“They rip us off,” he said last week while announcing the sweeping tariffs. “It’s so sad to see. It’s pathetic.”
Trump also criticized the EU’s value-added tax—a 15% standard levy on most goods and services—as an “unfair” trade practice. He claimed, using a crude and widely disputed methodology, that the EU effectively imposes a 39% tariff on US products. However, the European Commission notes that the actual average tariff rate on goods between both sides is around 1%.
