Von der Leyen: EU freezes retaliatory tariffs against US for 90 days To allow negotiations

The European Union is placing a 90-day freeze on new tariffs targeting the United States in an effort to give diplomacy a chance, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.

“We took note of the announcement by President Trump. We want to give negotiations a chance,” von der Leyen said in a post on X, referring to recent comments made by the US president, Caliber.Az reports.

While the European Commission is continuing its preparations for retaliatory measures, the actual imposition of tariffs will be delayed for three months to allow time for talks between Brussels and Washington.

“While finalising the adoption of the EU countermeasures that saw strong support from our Member States, we will put them on hold for 90 days,” she stated. “If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in.”

Von der Leyen added that the EU is still actively preparing additional steps should discussions fail to produce a resolution.

“Preparatory work on further countermeasures continues,” she said. “As I have said before, all options remain on the table.”

Note that US President Donald Trump revealed a surprise three-month suspension of "reciprocal" tariffs that were imposed at midnight, with the notable exception of China. This decision marks a significant reversal from Trump's previous stance, where he had insisted on maintaining high tariffs. However, tariffs on China, the world’s second-largest economy, will remain, and Trump announced an increase from 104% to 125% after China imposed additional retaliatory tariffs on the US.

Trump’s social media post condemned China’s lack of respect for global markets and warned that its economic practices would no longer be tolerated. He stated, "At some point, China will realise that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable."

Other nations subject to reciprocal tariffs will see their rates reduced to a universal 10%, while Mexico and Canada will remain exempt from the 10% tariffs but will continue to face a 25% tariff on most goods unless compliant with the US- Mexico- Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Wall Street reacted positively, with stocks climbing after the announcement despite the continuation of the 10% tariff on all imports.

By Aghakazim Guliyev