United States President Donald Trump expressed his satisfaction regarding the European Union's decision to expedite trade negotiations, just days after he threatened to impose a 50% tariff if no agreement was reached.

In a social media post cited on Wednesday (May 28, 2025), Trump claimed he had received information that the EU was actively working to schedule a meeting as soon as possible. He welcomed this as a positive development and expressed hope that, just as he pressured China, Europe would also open its markets to American products.

Previously, Trump had stated his intention to apply a 50% tariff on European goods, but decided to delay the implementation until July 9 following a phone conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during which both leaders agreed to accelerate the discussions. “I am very pleased with the allocation of a 50% tariff on the European Union, especially because they have been slow (to put it politely!) in negotiating with us,” Trump said in his post, quoted by Bloomberg.

Trump is widely known for rarely offering praise to the EU, an entity he has often criticized as being designed to “cheat” the United States. The bloc, however, was originally established in the aftermath of World War II to maintain peace and stability across Europe.

As part of its latest strategic response, the European Union will now focus its negotiation efforts on sectors most vulnerable to Trump’s tariff threats, such as metals, automotive, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and the civil aviation industry.

This initiative is part of a broader trade strategy aimed at reducing both tariff and non-tariff barriers. The EU’s most recent trade proposal included discussions around mutual tariff reductions and collaborative responses to global challenges. However, Washington rejected the offer, prompting Trump to escalate his tariff threats.

EU member states were briefed on these latest developments earlier this week, following discussions between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.