United States President, Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 50 per cent tariff on all imports from the European Union, citing stalled negotiations with the 27-member trading bloc.

Lamenting the lack of progress in trade discussions, Trump announced the possible tariff hike via his social media platform, Truth Social.

“Negotiations with the EU are going nowhere,” Trump wrote. “I am therefore recommending a straight 50 per cent Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”

The announcement sent stock futures tumbling on Wall Street as investors reacted to the threat of heightened economic tensions between the world’s largest economy and its biggest trading partner.

If implemented, the new tariff would sharply increase the existing baseline 10 per cent duty currently levied on EU imports, potentially escalating an already tense transatlantic trade relationship.

Last month, Trump had already imposed sweeping tariffs on most countries, introducing steep duties across several sectors including automobiles, steel, and aluminum that are not produced within the United States. The measures targeted multiple trading partners, including the EU.

Markets dropped sharply following those announcements, prompting the president to announce a 90-day pause on most of the levies to allow room for negotiation, though the baseline 10 percent tariff remained in effect.

However, talks between Washington and Brussels have proven more difficult than with other global partners. Recently, the EU responded to the escalating trade dispute by threatening to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods worth nearly 100 billion euros (approximately \$113 billion) if the U.S. failed to ease duties on European products.

In his Friday morning post, Trump doubled down on his stance, accusing the EU of exploiting the United States.

“The EU was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE,” Trump asserted, calling the negotiations “difficult.”

The proposed tariffs, if enacted, could have significant implications for transatlantic trade, affecting a wide range of goods and industries on both sides.

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