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US President Donald Trump has recommended Friday a 50% tariff on the European Union after complaining that negotiations were not going well and Brussels was “difficult to deal with”. 

Trump took to social media to share his thoughts, suggesting the elevated duty to start on 1 June, in less than a month. 

The US president said he wants to charge higher import taxes on goods from the EU, a long-standing US ally, than from China, a geopolitical rival that had its tariffs cut to 30% this month so Washington and Beijing could hold negotiations.

Trump was upset by the lack of progress in trade talks with the EU, which has insisted on cutting tariffs to zero even as the president has publicly insisted on preserving a baseline 10% tax on most imports.

“Our discussions with them are going nowhere,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% tariff on the European Union, starting on 1 June 2025. There is no tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.”

The EU declined to comment on the US president’s words. 

The European Union and the United States have been negotiating a new trade agreement, and Euronews learnt that they have recently shared position papers that were radically apart. 

Apple also threatened

That post had been preceded by a threat of import taxes against the US tech giant Apple.

Apple now joins Amazon, Walmart and other major US companies in the White House’s crosshairs as they try to respond to the uncertainty and inflationary pressures unleashed by his tariffs.

“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote. “If that is not the case, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US.”

In response to Trump’s tariffs on China, Apple and CEO Tim Cook were looking to shift iPhone manufacturing to India as the company adjusts its supply chains. That plan has become a source of frustration for Trump, who also brought it up last week during his Middle East trip.

Stock futures sold off after Trump’s postings.