Trump gives 4 July ultimatum to EU to approve trade deal with US

President Donald Trump has issued a July 4 ultimatum to the European Union, threatening to impose 'much higher' tariffs if the bloc does not drop its levies on U.S. goods to zero [1]. The threat follows a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during which Trump stated he agreed to give her until the U.S. Independence Day holiday before raising tariffs [1]. Von der Leyen responded that the EU is making 'good progress towards tariff reduction' and remains committed to implementing the deal [1]. The trade agreement in question was signed by both leaders in July of last year [1]. Under its terms, U.S. tariffs on exports from the EU would be set at 15% [1]. The European Parliament gave the deal conditional approval in March, attaching safeguards to ensure U.S. compliance [1]. Parliamentarians stipulated they would accept zero tariffs on U.S. goods only if European steel and aluminum products were exempt from Trump's separate global 50% tariff on those metals [1]. Despite parliamentary progress, the deal still requires endorsement from the EU's 27 member states [1]. Last week, Trump accused the EU of not complying with the agreement and said he would increase tariffs on trucks and cars to 25% [1]. Negotiations between EU lawmakers and governments are ongoing, with another round of talks scheduled for May 19 [1].