Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU as Trade War Intensifies
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on May 23 threatened a 50% tax on all imports from the European Union as well a 25% tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are made in America.
The threats, delivered over social media, reflect Trump’s ability to disrupt the global economy with a burst of typing as well as the reality that his tariffs are not producing the sufficient trade deals he is seeking or the return of domestic manufacturing he has promised voters.
The Republican president said he wants to charge higher import taxes on goods from the EU, a long-standing U.S. ally, than from China, a geopolitical rival that had its tariffs cut to 30% this month so Washington and Beijing could hold negotiations. Trump was upset by the lack of progress in trade talks with the EU, which has insisted on cutting tariffs to zero even as the president has publicly insisted on preserving a baseline 10% tax on most imports.
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47)
That post had been preceded by a threat of import taxes against Apple. Apple now joins Amazon, Walmart and other major U.S. companies in the White House’s crosshairs as they try to respond to the uncertainty and inflationary pressures unleashed by his tariffs.
“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 will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump wrote. “If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”
In response to Trump’s tariffs on China, Apple and CEO Tim Cook were looking to shift iPhone manufacturing to India as the company adjusts supply chains. That plan has become a source of frustration for Trump, who also brought it up last week during his Middle East trip.
Stock futures sold off after Trump’s postings.
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