BBC North America Editor, Turnberry, Scotland
The United States and the European Union have reached the structure of a trade deal, ending a month’s deadlock between the world’s two largest economic partners.
After the make-or-brake talks between President Donald Trump in Scotland and European Commission Chairman Ursula von Der Leyen, the pair agreed to an American tariff on all European Union goods of 15%.
This is half a 30% import tax rate, Trump threatened to start on Friday. He said that the 27 -member block would open its market for American exporters with zero percent tariff on certain products.
Von Der Leyen also said the deal, saying that it would bring stability for both colleagues, who eat almost one -third of global trade.
Trump has promoted tariffs against major American trade partners in a bid to restore the global economy and trim the US trade deficit.
Along with the European Union, he has killed tariff agreements with UK, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam, although he has not achieved his target of “90 deals in 90 days”.
The Sunday’s agreement was announced after a private conversation in its Turnberry Golf Course in South Irshire between Trump and Von Der Leyen.
Trump – who is on a five -day visit to Scotland – said after his brief meeting: “We have reached a deal. This is a good deal for everyone.”
“It’s going to bring us together,” he said.
Von Der Leyen saw it as a “heavy deal” even after “tough talks”.
Trump said that the European Union would promote its investment in the US by $ 600BN (£ 446BN), including American military equipment, and spend $ 750BN on energy.
Von Der Leyen said that in the next three years, American liquid will invest in natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel, help reduce European dependence on Russian power sources.
Some items will not attract any tariffs, including aircraft and aircraft parts, some chemicals and some agricultural products. A separate deal on semi -makers can be announced soon.
He said that 50% of American tariff Trump has applied globally on steel and aluminum.
“I want to thank President Trump for personally for his personal commitment and his leadership for his leadership,” said Von Der Leyen.
“He is a difficult negotiator, but he is also a merchant.”
Both sides can portray the agreement as a win.
For the European Union, the tariffs could be worse: it is not good as the UK 10% tariff rate, but is similar to the 15% rate that Japan interacted last week.
For the US, it is equal to about $ 90 billion tariffs in government coffeers, based on last year’s trade data, as well as in the US, now there is a investment of hundreds of billions of dollars.
One thing is clear: Trump is celebrating after attacking the biggest trade deal in history.
While this deal is very reverse for the US, it is less clear what the European Union achieves.
It was noteworthy that Von Der Leyen talked about “rebuilding” business relations.
The first European Union has argued that the relationship is not out of balance because the European Union buys more services than the US because it sells them.
It seemed that Von Der Leyen was deliberately speaking the language of Trump to seal the agreement.
This came when the US President finished 18 holes at the Turnberry Resort with guests and family, including his son Eric, who were in the midst of the shower position.
Trade in goods between the European Union and the US was around $ 976BN last year. The US imported $ 606BN to goods from the European Union and exported approximately $ 370BN in 2024.
It is a sticky point for imbalance, or trade deficit, Trump. He says that such business relations mean that the US is “losing”.
If he chased through tariffs against Europe, products ranging from Spanish pharmaceuticals to Italian leather, German electronics and French cheese would have been implemented.
The European Union had said that the car was ready to retaliate with tariffs on American goods including parts, boeing planes and beef.
European leaders carefully welcomed the deal.
The Irish Prime Minister, TaCich Michael Martin, noticed the fact that the tariff would still be higher than before, which would “be more expensive and more challenging”.
Among the European Union countries, Ireland is the most dependent on the US as an export market.
German Chancellor Frederick Merz posted on X that a trade struggle would have given a tough fight to Germany.
He said, “Stable and predicted business relations with market access, benefiting everyone equally on both sides of the Atlantic, businesses and consumers,” he said.
Italian ANSA news agency reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed the deal, but said he needed to see the details.
The British Prime Minister Kir Stmper planned his meeting with Trump at Turnberry on Monday.
The US President will be in Aberdeen on Tuesday, where his family has another golf course and one third is opening next month.
The President and his sons have planned to help cut the ribbon on the new Fairway.
