Trump and Von der Leyen Agree on Trade Talks
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to meet at a later date to discuss resolving ongoing trade disputes, the Commission confirmed Monday. The commitment came during a brief exchange between the two leaders on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.
“There was an interest expressed. The right moment for [a meeting] will be when there is a package to be agreed upon at the level of the two presidents,” said Paula Pinho, the Commission’s chief spokesperson. No specific date or location has been set.
The interaction marked the first direct communication between von der Leyen and Trump since his return to the White House in January. Despite hosting other European leaders, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Ireland’s Micheál Martin, Trump had not engaged with the Commission president—an omission that had raised concerns in Brussels, given the EU’s role in shaping the bloc’s trade policy.
Escalating Tariffs and Stalled Negotiations
Trade tensions between the U.S. and EU have intensified in recent months. In March, the White House imposed 25% tariffs on European steel, aluminum, and automobiles, followed by a 20% levy on other EU goods in April. After backlash, the U.S. temporarily halved the latter rate to 10% until July 8, creating a 90-day window for negotiations.
In response, the EU suspended plans for retaliatory tariffs and proposed a “zero-for-zero” deal, eliminating duties on all industrial goods. However, U.S. interest in the offer has been lukewarm, according to EU Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
Von der Leyen delayed the EU’s first wave of countermeasures—targeting €21 billion in U.S. products—by 90 days to allow for talks. “We want to give negotiations a chance,” she said earlier this month.
Yet significant hurdles remain. The White House has pushed to include “non-tariff barriers” such as VAT policies and tech regulations in discussions—a move Brussels rejects as irrelevant to trade. Meanwhile, U.S. officials remain vague about their ultimate demands.
Uncertainty Over Trump’s Trade Strategy
The Trump administration has defended its aggressive tariff policy as a tool to reset global trade dynamics. “We’re gonna make our country very rich. Very, very rich. It’s already happening,” Trump said last week.
But analysts suggest the president’s strategy lacks clarity. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the approach as “strategic uncertainty,” urging trading partners to dismantle barriers. “Take off your tariffs. Take off your non-tariff trade barriers… and then we can talk,” he told ABC.
For now, technical teams on both sides continue negotiations, aiming to draft a deal for von der Leyen and Trump to finalize. Whether the two leaders can bridge the gap before the July deadline remains uncertain.