On Monday, August 4, 2025, the European Union announced that it will suspend for six months two planned packages of counter‑tariffs targeting U.S. goods. The measures had been scheduled to take effect on August 7, but are now delayed as the EU and U.S. work to finalize a joint statement outlining a trade deal reached on July 27.
According to a European Commission spokesperson, “On 27 July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald J. Trump agreed a deal on tariffs and trade.” The spokesperson added that the agreement restores “stability and predictability for citizens and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic”.
Commission spokesman Olof Gill said the EU will formally adopt the suspension measures on Tuesday, August 5, via an urgency procedure. He reiterated that the EU “continues to work with the US to finalise a joint statement, as agreed on 27 July,” and that “with these objectives in mind, the Commission will take the necessary steps to suspend by six months the EU’s countermeasures against the US, which were due to enter into force on 7 August”.
The two countermeasure packages targeted an estimated €93 billion worth of U.S. goods and were designed in response to U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminium, automobiles, aircraft parts and other exports.
Under the terms of the July 27 agreement, President Trump issued an executive order last week establishing a 15% tariff on most EU imports, including industrial goods. That executive order did not exempt certain sectors—such as autos and car parts—leaving their treatment pending further U.S. clarification.
Critics in Brussels and among EU member states have raised concerns over the agreement’s ambiguity and lack of legality. Many observers describe it as a political pact rather than a legally binding treaty, and note that key elements—such as tariff exemptions for strategic goods—are still undefined.
Investor confidence in the European Union has declined sharply following the deal’s announcement. According to the Sentix investor sentiment index, economic expectations deteriorated in early August amid concerns that the deal favored U.S. interests over those of the eurozone.
German officials have urged “serious, solution‑oriented negotiations” while trade negotiator Maros Sefcovic warned that proposed U.S. tariffs of up to 30% would make normal trade “almost impossible.” The EU has not ruled out activating further countermeasures should talks stall.
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