The Minister of Agriculture stated in Brussels today that the European Commission should retaliate if the United States maintains its proposal to impose a 30% tariff on European Union imports. However, he emphasized that the negotiation process requires patience.
“If there are 30% tariffs, I have little doubt that the EU will retaliate,” said Minister José Manuel Fernandes, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the EU Agriculture Council meeting. He noted that the bloc has a trade surplus in services with the US.
“Patience is needed in a negotiation,” José Manuel Fernandes added, noting that Washington is playing its own game and that it is normal for positions to be extreme to reach an agreement.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced he would impose 30% tariffs on EU products starting August 1, in a letter addressed to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Responding to the announcement, the head of the EU executive stated that Brussels remains willing to negotiate with the US to reach an agreement before August 1.
Donald Trump justified the decision with the EU’s trade surplus with the United States, which reached 50 billion euros in 2024.
The trade tensions between Brussels and Washington are due to President Donald Trump’s announcements of tariffs on the EU, starting at 25% for steel, then rising to 50% in June for aluminum and European cars, followed by reciprocal tariffs on the EU, which were suspended and now set at 30% after a period of negotiations.
Brussels prefers a negotiated solution with Washington and has already proposed zero tariffs on industrial goods between both blocs.
The European Commission holds the competence for the EU’s trade policy.
Currently, 379 billion euros in EU exports to the United States, equivalent to 70% of the total, have been subject to the new tariffs (including those temporarily suspended) since the new US administration took office last January.
According to the European Commission, this involves an average US customs duty rate higher than in the 1930s.
The EU and the United States engage in the largest trade volume among partners, amounting to 1.68 trillion euros, with the European bloc recording a trade surplus of 198 billion euros in goods and a deficit of 148 billion euros in services.
