Trump Issues July 4 Trade Ultimatum to EU, Warns Tariffs Could Spike ‘Immediately’

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened the European Union with sharply higher tariffs if the bloc fails to finalize its trade agreement with Washington by July 4, escalating pressure on negotiations already facing delays. Trump said he granted the EU until America’s 250th Independence Day celebration to ratify the deal after what he described as a “great call” with Ursula von der Leyen. He warned tariffs “would immediately jump to much higher levels” if the agreement is not completed on time. The warning came shortly after Trump announced plans to raise tariffs on EU cars and trucks to 25%, accusing the bloc of failing to honor commitments made during last year’s trade agreement in Scotland. Von der Leyen said the EU remains “fully committed” to the deal and noted that “good progress” was being made toward reducing tariffs by early July. European Parliament trade negotiator Bernd Lange also said negotiations were advancing, although more work remained ahead of the next talks scheduled for May 10.