EU demands ‘full clarity’ from Trump on tariffs

The European bloc has asked the US president to honor existing trade agreements

The EU’s top executive body has urged US President Donald Trump not to impose new tariffs on the bloc’s goods and to clarify his position following the US Supreme Court ruling that struck down most of his earlier measures.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump had no authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Trump responded by signing an order imposing a 10% global tariff through a different law and later said he would raise it to 15%. He denounced the justices who ruled against him as “a disgrace to the nation.”

In a statement on Sunday, the European Commission requested “full clarity” on Trump’s intentions, adding that the current situation is not in line with the promise of “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” trade as envisaged in the EU-US joint statement from August 2025.

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“The Commission will always ensure that the interests of the European Union are fully protected. EU companies and exporters must receive fair treatment, predictability, and legal certainty,” Sunday’s statement reads.

The European bloc argued that its goods should not be subjected to tariff increases “beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed.”

“Tariffs are taxes, driving up costs for both consumers and businesses, as recent studies clearly confirm,” the Commission said.

Trump has long accused the rest of the world of “ripping off” the US, arguing that sweeping tariffs are needed to protect domestic manufacturers and combat what he described as unfair trade practices. He has also used trade as political pressure, vowing to impose additional tariffs on European countries opposing his plan to annex Greenland from Denmark.