Bessent: Trump’s 50% Tariffs Push EU Toward Fairer Deals/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump’s proposed 50% EU tariffs aim to push Europe toward better trade offers. The president is also considering a 25% tariff on foreign-made iPhones to boost U.S. manufacturing. Bessent criticized the EU’s proposals as weaker than those from Asia and India.
Trump’s Tariff Threat + Quick Looks
- Trump proposes 50% tariffs on EU goods, starting June 1.
- Move aims to spur better EU trade offers, says Bessent.
- EU proposals lack quality, compared to other U.S. partners.
- 25% tariff on iPhones made overseas also under consideration.
- Trump wants U.S. semiconductor production boosted, including Apple’s supply chain.
- Bessent says EU suffers from ‘collective action problem’ with 27 members negotiating via Brussels.
- Asian countries, India praised for good-faith trade engagement.
- G7 meetings in Banff highlight divisions over Trump’s trade approach.
Bessent: Trump’s 50% Tariffs Push EU Toward Fairer Deals
Deep Look
BANFF, Alberta — In the latest escalation of President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that a proposed 50% tariff on European Union goods is meant to apply pressure on Brussels ahead of negotiations. Speaking on Fox News Friday, Bessent said the president believes the EU’s trade offers are subpar compared to other key U.S. partners and hopes the looming June 1 deadline will force movement.
“This is about lighting a fire under the EU,” Bessent stated, underscoring frustrations within the Trump administration about the European Commission’s pace and proposals. “The EU has a collective action problem — 27 countries represented by one group in Brussels — and that’s slowing down meaningful negotiations.”
Trump’s tariff threat comes on the heels of a tense G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Banff, Alberta, where divisions over trade dominated discussions. The U.S. push for tougher tariffs contrasted with more moderate stances taken by European leaders, including European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.
Bessent, fresh from those talks, said the actual conversations were “fine,” but frustrations had already built prior to the summit.
As part of his broader effort to repatriate high-value manufacturing, Trump is also considering a 25% tariff on Apple iPhones assembled outside the United States. Bessent indicated the president’s ultimate goal is to fortify domestic production—especially in semiconductors.
“One of our greatest vulnerabilities is this external production,” said Bessent. “A large part of Apple’s components are in semiconductors. We want Apple to be part of making that supply chain more secure.”
Apple (AAPL.O) has not responded publicly to the tariff suggestion, but a 25% levy could significantly affect its overseas assembly lines and component sourcing.
Bessent drew a sharp contrast between the EU and other trading partners. He praised India and several Asian countries for negotiating “in good faith” and making “very interesting proposals” in recent months. In contrast, he said, EU member states appeared disconnected from what Brussels was offering Washington.
“The feedback I’m getting is that some EU countries don’t even know what’s being proposed on their behalf,” Bessent said. “That’s a problem, and it’s delaying progress.”
While the administration has not specified which EU goods would be targeted under the 50% tariff, the move is expected to touch a broad range of imports, from automobiles to luxury items. The aim, Bessent emphasized, is not to trigger a trade war but to accelerate trade parity and fairness.
Trade experts and global economists warn, however, that such sweeping tariffs risk retaliatory measures from the EU and could disrupt international supply chains, especially in a post-pandemic economy still regaining stability.
Despite these warnings, Bessent stood firm in defending the president’s hardline tactics. “We’re not negotiating on TV,” he said, “but if we want real, structural deals that help the American worker, sometimes you have to raise the stakes.”
Trump’s push for tariffs is part of a broader economic platform focused on reshoring American manufacturing and decoupling from foreign dependencies—particularly in sectors like tech and energy.
Whether the EU will respond with improved proposals—or retaliate with countermeasures—remains to be seen. For now, Trump’s trade brinkmanship has again taken center stage as the global economy braces for the potential fallout of another transatlantic tariff showdown.
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