🇺🇸 Trump on Social Media:
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere! … a straight 50% tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, claims that he is considering slapping a 50% tariff on all imports from the European Union (EU).
The new tariff would come into force on June 1st, he explained. In his social media platform Truth Social, he wrote: “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” and added that he was recommending a straight 50% tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”
The 50% tariff would be eleven percentage points higher than the 39% he promised to hit the EU with on Liberation Day (April 2nd).
The BBC quoted Aslak Berk, from the Centre for European Reform, who said the following regarding Trump’s threat:
“We have to keep in mind that at this point, this is a threat. It’s not an announcement. There is no executive order.”
“The fact of the matter is the EU is not going to budge. They are going to stay calm, carry on and it will be a very difficult discussion this afternoon.”
iPhone Tariff Threats
📱 Trump vs. Apple:
“If iPhones aren’t made in the U.S., a tariff of at least 25% must be paid.”
Apple stock dropped 2.7% shortly after the post.
His comments regarding the EU followed an Apple threat of a 25% tariff on iPhones, which are made abroad.
According to Trump:
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America (sic) will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”
NBC News quotes tech analyst Dan Ives who said: “The concept of Apple producing iPhones in the U.S. is a fairy tale.”
Apple’s stock price fell by more than 2.7% by midday soon after Trump’s threat.
Trump’s Trade War with the World
If Trump reignites the trade war, which began in April, he risks a serious collapse in trade with the EU and China, which combined represent a significant proportion of global gross domestic product and world trade – see below:
Share of Global GDP
- China – Approximately 17%
- EU – Approximately 14.7%
- China plus the EU – Approximately 31.7%
📘 Definition – GDP:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total value of all goods and services produced by an economy, including taxes and subsidies. It reflects the sum of all economic activity over a specific period.
Share of World Trade
- China – About 12.3%
- EU – About 11.4%
- China plus the EU – about 23.7 of global goods trade.
America risks isolating itself completely from the rest of the world and suffering serious economic consequences.
Other trading areas such as the European Union, China, Japan, and South Korea will simply bypass the US and increase trade with each other. In other words, America could be left in the sidelines.
📚 Additional Article Sources
- Global Economics: China: Percent of world GDP
- EU Commission (Eurostat): Key figures on the EU in the world – 2025 edition
- Voronoi: China’s Share of World Trade Reaches 12.3% in 2023 vs. EU at 11.4% and U.S. at 10.8%
[Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on 13:52, May 23, 2025]