EU’s Trump tariff deal breakthrough
The framework agreement may have averted a trade war, but it is fragile and much negotiation remains
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland last week was never likely to be just a private golfing trip. However, the reciprocal tariff framework deal he struck on Sunday (Jul 27) with the European Union was beyond the expectations of even many longstanding Trump watchers.
It was only Friday, soon after Trump’s arrival in Scotland, that a meeting was confirmed for Sunday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. While the two sides reported they were close to an agreement earlier this month, Trump declared on Friday that there were still more than a dozen sticking points.
On Sunday, Dr von der Leyen referred to the “very difficult” negotiations. She said: “We started far apart from each other... You saw the tension at the beginning... We didn’t know if we would reach a landing zone or if it would crash. But in the end, as we were successful, it’s good and satisfactory.”
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