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EU Pushes Back on Trump's 15 Percent Tariffs
(MENAFN) The European Commission has called on US President Donald Trump to hold off on new tariffs targeting European goods and to make his trade intentions unambiguously clear, following a landmark US Supreme Court decision that invalidated the bulk of his earlier trade measures.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Trump lacked the legal authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Trump responded by invoking a separate statute to enforce a sweeping 10% global tariff, later signaling he would push that figure to 15%. He publicly attacked the justices who ruled against him, branding them "a disgrace to the nation."
By Sunday, Brussels had issued a formal response. The European Commission demanded "full clarity" on Washington's trade posture, warning that the current climate contradicts the pledge of "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial" trade outlined in the EU-US joint statement from August 2025.
"The Commission will always ensure that the interests of the European Union are fully protected. EU companies and exporters must receive fair treatment, predictability, and legal certainty," the statement read.
Brussels further argued that European goods must not face tariff hikes "beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed," and took direct aim at Trump's broader trade strategy. "Tariffs are taxes, driving up costs for both consumers and businesses, as recent studies clearly confirm," the Commission said.
Trump has long maintained that trading partners have been "ripping off" the US, framing aggressive tariffs as a shield for domestic industry against what he characterizes as entrenched unfair trade practices. He has also weaponized trade policy as political leverage, threatening additional duties on European nations that resist his ambitions to absorb Greenland from Denmark.
The standoff marks a significant new flashpoint in transatlantic economic relations, with both sides now watching closely to see whether diplomacy or escalation defines the next move.
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Trump lacked the legal authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Trump responded by invoking a separate statute to enforce a sweeping 10% global tariff, later signaling he would push that figure to 15%. He publicly attacked the justices who ruled against him, branding them "a disgrace to the nation."
By Sunday, Brussels had issued a formal response. The European Commission demanded "full clarity" on Washington's trade posture, warning that the current climate contradicts the pledge of "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial" trade outlined in the EU-US joint statement from August 2025.
"The Commission will always ensure that the interests of the European Union are fully protected. EU companies and exporters must receive fair treatment, predictability, and legal certainty," the statement read.
Brussels further argued that European goods must not face tariff hikes "beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed," and took direct aim at Trump's broader trade strategy. "Tariffs are taxes, driving up costs for both consumers and businesses, as recent studies clearly confirm," the Commission said.
Trump has long maintained that trading partners have been "ripping off" the US, framing aggressive tariffs as a shield for domestic industry against what he characterizes as entrenched unfair trade practices. He has also weaponized trade policy as political leverage, threatening additional duties on European nations that resist his ambitions to absorb Greenland from Denmark.
The standoff marks a significant new flashpoint in transatlantic economic relations, with both sides now watching closely to see whether diplomacy or escalation defines the next move.
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