TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a 30% import tariff on all goods from the European Union and Mexico. This policy will take effect on August 1, 2025, following the failure of trade negotiations with these two major U.S. trading partners.
Trump announced this decision in two separate letters uploaded to the Truth Social platform on Saturday, July 12, 2025. He framed this policy as a response to increasing illegal immigration and drug flow from Mexico into the United States, as well as the trade imbalance between the U.S. and the European Union.
Warning to the European Union
In a letter sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and published on Truth Social, Trump wrote that starting from August 1, 2025, the U.S. will impose a 30% tariff on European Union products shipped to the United States, separate from all sectoral tariffs.
Trump also warned of potential retaliation from the European side. "Raise your Tariffs and retaliate, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added to the 30% that we charge," he stated.
European Union's Response and Preparation for Retaliation
According to Politico, Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the European Union will consider retaliatory measures. "We will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required," von der Leyen said, cautioning that a 30% tariff on European exports would disrupt important supply chains, harming businesses, consumers, and patients on both sides.
In response to this decision, the European Commission has instructed its staff to cancel weekend plans and remain on standby. Five European Union diplomats also confirmed that ambassadors of member states would hold an emergency meeting at 3:30 p.m. local time, ahead of the EU trade ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday.
Additional Tariffs for Other Countries
Earlier this week, Trump also announced new tariffs for more than 20 other countries, including Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Brazil. He also set a 50% tariff for copper products. The tariffs on goods from Mexico are higher than the 25% duty imposed earlier this year, though products entering through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal remain exempt from this policy.
Meanwhile, the tariffs on the European Union are significantly higher than the 20% tariff Trump announced in April. Previously, the European Union had hoped to reach an initial agreement with the U.S. to impose a one-way tariff of 10% and had requested exemptions for certain sectors such as automobiles, aircraft, and alcoholic beverages.
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