German Economic Affairs Minister Katherina Reiche has called on the European Commission to hold pragmatic talks with Washington to settle the dispute over tariffs, APA reports citing DPA.
“During the remaining time, the European Union should pragmatically discuss with the United States a solution oriented toward the key conflict moments,” the DPA agency quoted her as saying. According to Reiche, the German government supports the European Commission’s approach to this matter. She stressed that these tariffs will hit severely European exporters but, at the same time, they will likewise impact the economy and consumers overseas.
“A pragmatic result of talks needs to be achieved promptly,” she emphasized.
Earlier in the day, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform a letter to the European Commission’s president notifying that starting on August 1, 2025, the United States “will charge the European Union a tariff of only 30% on EU products sent to the United States, separate from all sectoral tariffs,” which are now stand at 10%.
Commenting on this move, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that these tariffs “would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic” and pledged that the European Union will “continue working towards an agreement by August 1,” but will “take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interes