President Donald Trump has proposed new tariffs targeting European imports and foreign-manufactured iPhones.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he is recommending a 50% tariff on goods imported from the European Union (EU) effective June 1, 2025, citing “unfair trade practices.”
“Our discussions with them are going nowhere!” he wrote on Friday.
“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” he said.
Trump accused the EU of using a range of tactics, such as trade barriers, high VAT taxes, strict corporate penalties, and currency manipulation, to put American companies at a disadvantage.
He claimed these practices have led to a trade deficit of more than $250bn annually, which according to him is “totally unacceptable.”
The proposed tariff follows an earlier imposed 20% duty on EU exports imposed during Trump administration and is expected to further increase trade tensions between the U.S. and E.U.
The U.S. president also turned his attention to the tech sector, specifically Apple, warning that iPhones not built in the U.S. could face heavy import taxes.
“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones 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 stated.
“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S,” he added.
The proposed measures have sparked concern in financial markets and could provoke retaliatory actions from the EU and other trading partners.
