Trump said tariffs on EU cars and trucks will rise next week, accusing the bloc of failing to honour a trade agreement that previously capped duties at 15%

President Donald Trump on Friday said that he will raise US tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union next week, alleging that the bloc is failing to comply with an earlier trade agreement.

US President Donald Trump posts, “I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States. The… pic.twitter.com/Jl0RFR9fc9

— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2026STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

The agreement, reached last summer, limited US tariffs on EU automobiles and auto parts to 15 per cent, below the 25 per cent duty imposed by Trump on many other trading partners.

These sector-specific tariffs were not impacted by a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that struck down a broad range of Trump’s global levies.

But the US leader said Friday: “Based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States.”

“The Tariff will be increased to 25%,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump did not specify how he believes the European Union is failing to comply with the trade deal or provide further details on the planned tariff increase.

The announcement came a day after he renewed criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Trump told Merz to focus on ending the war in Ukraine rather than “interfering” on Iran.

Reacting to the development, Bernd Lange, the chairman of the EU parliament’s trade committee, told The Guardian, “President Trump’s behaviour is unacceptable. This latest move demonstrates just how unreliable the US side is. We have already witnessed these arbitrary attacks from the US in the case of Greenland; this is no way to treat close partners.”

Germany is likely to be among the hardest hit by higher auto tariffs, given its major share of EU vehicle exports.

In late March, EU lawmakers gave conditional approval to the bloc’s trade deal with Trump. While many backed lowering EU tariffs on certain US imports as a first step toward implementing the 2025 agreement, they also pushed for additional safeguards.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Although the European Parliament has endorsed the deal in principle, it still requires further negotiation with EU member states before it can take effect.

In April, EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic held talks in Washington with US officials including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and trade representative Jamieson Greer.

He later said the EU was also seeking progress on reducing the impact of still-high US steel tariffs, adding that discussions were moving in a positive direction.

The United States is the second-largest market for EU vehicle exports after the United Kingdom, according to a 2025 fact sheet from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. More than 20 per cent of EU vehicle exports are shipped to the US.

Germany alone exported around 450,000 vehicles to the United States in 2024, according to industry group VDA, though that number has since declined.

With inputs from agencies

First Published:
May 02, 2026, 00:45 IST

HomeWorldTrump to raise EU auto tariffs to 25%, accuses bloc of breaking trade dealEnd of Article