EU Vows to Defend Interests After Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on All EU Goods and Apple iPhones

European Union Trade Chief Maros Sefcovic has issued a firm response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest volley of tariff threats, warning that the bloc is prepared to defend its interests while still remaining committed to fair negotiations. The reaction came swiftly after Trump declared plans to impose a sweeping fifty percent tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from the European Union.

In a statement shared via social media on Saturday, Sefcovic reaffirmed the EU’s willingness to engage constructively. “The 27-member bloc remains ready to work in good faith and is fully engaged and committed to securing a deal that works for both parties,” he said. Sefcovic emphasized the value of the transatlantic relationship, stating, “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.” His message ended with a clear declaration: “We stand ready to defend our interests.”

Sefcovic’s comments followed a phone conversation on Friday with his American counterpart, Jamieson Greer, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnickhe, amid growing unease over the escalating rhetoric from Washington.

On Friday morning, President Trump used his Truth Social platform to accuse EU negotiators of dragging their feet. “Negotiations with the EU were ‘going nowhere’,” he wrote, adding, “a straight fifty percent tariff on the European Union starting June 1, 2025,” was his proposed solution. Trump clarified that the tariff would not apply to any product built or manufactured in the United States.

The U.S. president extended his tariff threats to Apple, specifically warning that the company’s flagship iPhones must be produced on American soil or face consequences. “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump stated. “If that is not the case, a tariff of at least twenty-five percent must be paid by Apple to the US.”

Trump doubled down during remarks to reporters in the Oval Office later that day, insisting he wasn’t interested in any deal before June 1st. “We’ve set the deal—it’s at fifty percent,” he reiterated. When asked about the phone tariffs, he said they would not be limited to Apple. “That would also apply to ‘Samsung and anybody that makes that product,’” he said, broadly referring to smartphones. Trump predicted the new phone tariff would be active before the end of June.

The global economic community reacted swiftly to Trump’s new trade threats, with analysts warning of potential damage to international markets. Major U.S. stock indexes declined, European shares followed suit, the dollar lost ground, gold prices increased, and U.S. Treasury yields dropped in response, according to reporting by Reuters.

European leaders condemned the proposed measures. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin expressed his disappointment in a strongly worded statement. “US President Trump’s suggestion today that he is recommending a fifty percent tariff on EU imports from June 1st is enormously disappointing,” Martin said. “I have always been clear in my view that tariffs are damaging to all sides.” He continued, “Tariffs at the level suggested would not only push prices up, [but] they would grievously damage one of the world’s most dynamic and significant trading relationships, as well as [disrupt] wider global trade.”

French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin echoed these concerns, criticizing the timing and tone of the U.S. president’s statements. “The new threats do not help at all during the negotiation period between the European Union and the United States,” Saint-Martin remarked. He concluded his message on X with a firm but measured stance: “We maintain the same stance: de-escalation, but are ready to respond.”

With the June 1 deadline fast approaching, tensions between Washington and Brussels appear to be mounting, setting the stage for a potential escalation in transatlantic trade conflict unless a compromise is reached in the coming weeks.

By fLEXI tEAM