Donald Trump Threatens 25% Droit De Douane on European Cars
Donald Trump said Friday he wanted to raise the droit de douane on vehicles imported from the European Union to 25% next week, sharpening a dispute over the July trade agreement between Washington and the bloc of 27. He said companies that build cars and trucks in factories located in the United States would face no customs duty.
Trump Targets Cars and Trucks
In a message on Truth Social, Trump said he was "ravi" to take the new step and accused the European Union of not respecting the commercial agreement concluded last summer. He also said, "Il est clairement entendu et convenu que, s’ils produisent des voitures et des camions dans des usines situées aux États-Unis, AUCUN DROIT DE DOUANE ne sera appliqué," tying the threatened tariff directly to production location.
Few hours later in Florida, Trump said he had "informé le très beau pays qu’est l’Allemagne" of the decision and accused Mercedes and BMW of having "dépouillé" Americans "pendant des années". He targeted both cars and heavier vehicles called trucks, without specifying exactly which categories would face the higher rate.
July Deal Under Pressure
The July agreement had limited tariffs on European cars and parts to 15% instead of 25%, with Japan and South Korea getting the same ceiling. In exchange, the European Union must remove most of its own tariffs on American products entering its market, but the validation process inside the 27-member bloc has not yet been completed.
Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said Trump had "clairement perdu patience" and appeared to be trying to pressure Brussels to speed up its internal procedures. The European Union delegation in Washington said the bloc was implementing the commitments made with Washington in line with normal legislative practices and was keeping the American government informed throughout the process.
Germany and the European Union
Germany exported about 450,000 vehicles to the United States before Trump returned to power, according to the VDA, leaving major German automakers exposed to any tariff move aimed at imported cars. Trump has already made tariffs a central tool of his economic and diplomatic policy, including sector-specific surcharges on automobiles and steel, while trying to keep tariffs on almost all other imported products that the Supreme Court recently censured.
The European Union delegation said that if the United States did not respect its part of the agreement, the bloc would keep all options open to protect its interests. Trump’s Friday threat now puts the 15% ceiling negotiated in July under direct pressure, with the next move likely to come from how Washington applies the higher rate he said would begin la semaine prochaine.
