The European Union announced Thursday that it will pause retaliatory tariffs on the United States for 90 days, following a similar move by U.S. President Donald Trump, who unexpectedly paused tariffs on multiple countries earlier this week.
The decision was revealed in a statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who emphasized the bloc’s intent to seek a diplomatic resolution. “We want to give negotiations a chance,” von der Leyen wrote on X. “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in. Preparatory work on further countermeasures continues. As I have said before, all options remain on the table.”
President Trump announced the 90-day pause on Wednesday via his social media platform Truth Social. His move came in response to what he described as the constructive behavior of many countries, while also targeting China with harsher penalties.
“I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately,” Trump wrote. He added that the pause was driven by the fact that many nations had refrained from imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States.
Trump specifically commended 75 countries that had not responded with trade penalties and said he had called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs.
Trump’s surprise decision also included a dramatic increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, raising levies to 125%, in response to Beijing’s imposition of an 84% retaliatory tariff on U.S. products.
The EU had initially planned to impose tariffs on $23 billion worth of U.S. goods, starting April 15, with further rounds scheduled for May 15 and December 1. These measures were introduced in response to Trump’s earlier tariffs on European steel and aluminum.
The mutual 90-day pause opens a window for renewed trade talks between the two economic powers, though the outcome remains uncertain as both sides seek concessions and clarity on a wide range of issues.
