US president Donald Trump is taking aim at the European Union (EU) and tech firm Apple in his latest round of tariff threats.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, the president said that he had recommended a tariff rate of 50% on goods from the European Union to start on 1 June, in response to the US trade deficit with the bloc.
“The EU, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the US on trade, has been very difficult to deal with,” he wrote.
“Their powerful trade barriers, VAT taxes, ridiculous corporate penalties, non-monetary trade barriers, monetary manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against Americans companies, and more, have led to a trade deficit with the US of more than $250m a year, a number which is totally unacceptable.”
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere! Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”
The US had earlier in the year announced tariffs of 20% on the European but this was delayed to allow discussions to take place over a 90 day period due to end in July.
Around an hour earlier, Trump had also threatened Apple with tariffs of 25% unless the company moved production to the US.
”I have long ago informed Tim Cook [chief executive] of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the US will be manufactured and built in the US, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US,” Trump wrote.
Over recent years, Apple has been expanding its production sites beyond China as it looked to diversify its supply chain.
Efforts have been ramped up this year due to Trump’s trade tariffs on China, with India and Vietnam the primary beneficiaries.
Trump has used the threat of tariffs as a negotiating tactic in the past and commentators say it is unlikely the tariffs will be implemented at the levels suggested in the long term.
