Trump slams 30% tariff rate on EU and Mexico in trade tension escalation

Trump has announced a 30% tariff on all goods entering the United States from the European Union and Mexico, starting August 1, according to letters he published on Truth Social Saturday, as per usual.

This follows a string of other tariff actions earlier this week against Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Brazil, as well as a separate 50% tariff placed on imported copper.

The European Union, which had been trying to secure a full trade agreement with the U.S. for its 27-member bloc, is now facing a new wall of tariffs. Trump made it clear in his letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, that the U.S. would not accept what he called decades of non-reciprocal trade practices.

“Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, anti-American policies over decades, have cost the United States jobs, companies, and industries,” Trump wrote. He said the U.S. had given the EU enough time to fix the trade imbalance, and claimed that the EU had created barriers to American goods while enjoying unrestricted access to U.S. markets.

Trump targets EU for trade deficit and restricted market access

In the letter to Ursula, Trump accused the EU of maintaining “significant barriers to U.S. exports” and warned that “a Tariff of 30% is sufficient at this time,” but that higher tariffs were possible if retaliation followed.

“If you decide your Tariffs and retaliate, then whatever number you choose to raise by, will be added onto the 30% that we charge,” he wrote. He argued that U.S. openness has been met with protectionism from Europe, and framed the issue as one of national security, not just economics.

The letter also included a demand for the EU to begin manufacturing products inside the United States if it wanted the tariffs lifted. Trump said that any European companies interested in doing so would be given fast-track approvals: “We will be everything possible to approvals quick, professionally, and routinely – in other words, a matter of weeks.”

He warned that unless Europe gives U.S. exports full access, the tariffs will stay. He added that “Tariffs are necessary to which came the large and insurmountable Trade Deficits against the United States. This is a major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!”

Mexico faces identical demands and retaliation threat

In a separate letter, Trump wrote to Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the President of the United Mexican States, to deliver the same 30% tariff policy. “You will recall, the United States has had a persistent Trade Deficit with Mexico for decades,” the letter said, blaming the imbalance for lost American “jobs, companies, and industries.”

Just like with the EU, Trump said the tariff will remain unless Mexico begins to manufacture and build within the U.S. and reduces barriers on American exports. He told Claudia that if Mexico decides to retaliate with its own trade penalties, then “whatever number you choose to raise by, will be added onto the 30% that we charge.”

He accused Mexico of following trade policies that were “anti-American” for decades, and repeated that the American government had been too patient. “We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with Mexico,” he said, but insisted that discussions had led nowhere.

The letter also included the same approval fast-tracking offer made to the EU. Mexican companies willing to relocate production to the United States were promised quick processing: “We will be everything possible to approvals quick, professionally, and routinely.” Trump said this would be “a matter of weeks.”

He ended the letter by calling the growing trade deficit with Mexico “a major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!”—the same phrase used in the letter to Ursula.

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