EU, US Reach Deal to Avoid Trump Tariff Hike Before Deadline
Bloomberg3 days
US Reaches Trade Deal With EU
Above: Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump during a meeting on July 27, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland. Image copyright: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
President Trump achieved a significant victory for the American people by securing the biggest of all deals with the EU. Now, the previously closed European markets will open up to U.S. goods, and the EU has agreed to purchase over a trillion dollars' worth of U.S. energy and other investments. This is what fair trade looks like.
Anti-Trump narrative
This is all but a fair trade deal, especially as Brussels has capitulated to Trump's tariff juggernaut amid fears that a confrontational posture with the U.S. could affect other areas such as security. EU technocrats may feel relieved that an immediate transatlantic trade war has been averted, but better trade terms could have been reached had they stood up to Trump's aggressive approach.