According to the Financial Times, the US president is trying to gauge the bloc’s tolerance for economic pressure.
Citing sources with knowledge of the situation, the Financial Times reports that US President Donald Trump is increasing his demands in trade negotiations with the EU. He is reportedly seeking a minimum tariff of 15% to 20% in any agreement with Brussels.
Talks between Brussels and Washington have been ongoing since early April, when Trump announced measures to protect American manufacturers, which he termed ‘Liberation Day.’
These measures included a blanket 10% tariff on all imports from the EU and most other US trading partners. These duties are currently suspended pending the outcome of the negotiations. However, the US president has cautioned that they could rise to 30% if Washington and Brussels fail to reach a deal by August 1. These tariffs would be applied in addition to existing sector-specific duties, such as the 50% levy on steel, aluminum duties, and the 25% tariffs on car imports that the US implemented earlier this year.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that the Trump administration is taking a tougher stance in discussions with the EU to determine the bloc’s “pain threshold.”
The paper’s sources also stated that the president was “unmoved” by Brussels’ offer to lower the 25% car tariffs and wants them to remain in place.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic reportedly gave a “downbeat” assessment of his recent conversations with US officials during a meeting of EU ambassadors on Friday, according to two individuals familiar with the matter.
An EU diplomat told the paper that if Trump insists on duties of 15% to 20%, the EU would be forced to respond in kind. Brussels has prepared several packages of retaliatory tariffs against Washington but has delayed implementing them until August 1.
“We do not want a trade war, but we do not know if the US will leave us a choice,” the source stated.
Another EU diplomat emphasized that “the mood has clearly changed” in Brussels, with a greater inclination towards retaliation, adding that “we are not going to settle at 15% percent.”
Washington has largely avoided retaliation for its tariffs to date, while the US Treasury reports collecting a record $64 billion in customs duties in the second quarter of 2025.
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