The agreement reached on Sunday, July 27, between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen favors the United States, which will now impose a 15% tariff on goods imported from the European Union (EU), without reciprocity. Nevertheless, in its relationship with the US, the 27-member states are not powerless. According to Eurostat, the European Union’s official statistics office, the EU has consistently increased its trade surpluses with the US over the decades. In 2024, these surpluses related to goods trade totaled €198 billion for the entire Union.
All US presidents, each in their own way, have tried to address this trade deficit with Europe. Their main challenge lies in the fact that the US is a major geopolitical power, while the EU has prioritized economic and commercial strength above all else. Today, the US produces little and sells poorly in Europe. Reorganizing in an economic war takes time and involves complex stakes. Unable to quickly correct the trade deficit with Europe, the US has chosen to tax European exports to its market.
In response to these measures, most member states and members of the European Parliament have made strategic choices. The Germans, the Italians, and almost all of Europe have purchased F-35 aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin. The company then acted as a lobbyist in the US to protect German civilian interests from tariffs and to allow them to sell their cars. Trump, for his part, waited for European states to confirm their F-35 purchases before threatening to impose a 30% tax on European goods entering the US.
Imbalances of interest between the two sides
Constant bargaining takes place between Europeans and Americans. At the end of 2024, European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said that to avoid a trade war, it was necessary to buy “made in USA.” Similarly, Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, explained in US media that European purchases of US-made weapons would help reduce the American trade deficit.
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