European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU is ready for a trade deal with the United States, but warned that Brussels was ready to retaliate with a list of countermeasures if “no satisfactory agreement is reached.”
Speaking in the Danish city of Aarhus, at the launch of the Danish presidency of the EU, Ms Von der Leyen said: “As you know, the negotiations with the United States are ongoing.
“As we speak, [EU trade] Commissioner Šefčovič is in Washington today. I just want to say we are ready for a deal.
“We want a negotiated solution, but you will know that at the same time, we’re preparing for the possibility that no satisfactory agreement is reached.
“This is why we consulted on a rebalancing list, and we will defend the European interest as needed. In other words, all the instruments are on the table,” she added.
A pause on the higher rate of tariffs by the US on a number of countries is scheduled to be lifted on 9 July.
The EU is reportedly negotiating to keep some sectors free of tariffs and accepting 10% duties on other goods.
The commission has until Wednesday next week to strike an agreement or see US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs snap back.
If no deal is reached, the default tariff on EU imports is expected to double to 20% or even higher – Mr Trump having at one point threatened 50%.
“We are aiming at the 9th of July,” Ms von der Leyen said.
“It’s a huge task because we have the largest trade volume globally between the European Union and the United States,” worth €1.5 trillion.
“What we are aiming at is an agreement in principle,” she added.
The size of trade between the two transatlantic allies meant an agreement in detail was “impossible” to conclude in the 90-day window ending next week, she added.
Ms von der Leyen’s comments came as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his call for a “quick and simple” EU deal with Washington – a matter of necessity for key industries from pharmaceuticals to engineering and automobiles.
The EU chief also made it clear that Brussels would not hold back from taking countermeasures to protect the European economy if talks fell short.
“We want a negotiated solution, but you all know that at the same time, we’re preparing for the possibility that no satisfactory agreement is reached,” she said.
“This is why we consulted on a rebalancing list, and we will defend the European interest as needed,” she added.
“In other words, all the interim instruments are on the table.”
The EU has prepared counter-tariffs on US goods worth around €100 billion if talks yield no positive outcome.
Ms von der Leyen’s comments come after Tánaiste Simon Harris said yesterday that US tariffs of 10% on exports from Ireland will be the “new normal” but that efforts are continuing to agree zero for zero taxes in some key areas.
“The US believes in tariffs. Clearly 10% seems to be the baseline in any agreements they have reached so far,” he said.
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke also said that he is “hopeful rather than confident” that a deal on tariffs can be reached between the US and European Union by 9 July.
