EU scrambles to finalise deal with Trump ahead of August 1 tariff threat

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced she will meet with US President Donald Trump in Scotland on July 27 to discuss a potential agreement on customs duties, according to Le Figaro.

“After a good conversation with the President of the United States, we agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations and how we can maintain their reliability,” von der Leyen posted on X.

The European Commission later confirmed the meeting in an official statement: “European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Scotland on July 27 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump to discuss transatlantic trade relations.”

The announcement comes amid efforts by the European Union to reach a trade deal with Washington ahead of Trump’s August 1 deadline, after which he has threatened to impose a blanket 30% customs duty on all European imports.

On July 25, Trump told reporters the chances of concluding a deal with the EU were “50-50” and added, “We are working very carefully with Europe,” shortly before departing for Scotland.

Le Figaro notes that optimism remains within the EU. A European Commission spokesperson said on July 24 that an agreement with the US was “within reach.”

Citing several European sources, the newspaper reports that the current framework under negotiation envisions 15% tariffs on EU exports to the US, with key exemptions for aviation equipment, alcohol, and pharmaceutical products.

By Tamilla Hasanova