Donald Trump announced 50% duties against the European Union starting from 1 June 2025. He did it through his social network Truth. The collapse of the European bags immediate, all the lists have undergone a violent fall due to sales.
Donald Trump’s announcement on duties
The words of the Tycoon, which denigrated the counterparty, as already happened several times. The EU, according to him, would be responsible for the bad performance of the US economy.
The European Union, made up mainly for taking advantage of the United States on the subject of commerce, has always been an extremely difficult interlocutor. Its commercial barriers, VAT, absurd sanctions to companies, non -monetary obstacles, currency manipulations, unjust and unfounded legal causes against American companies, and much more, have caused a commercial deficit with the USA over 250 billion dollars a year – a completely unacceptable figure.
He then stressed that the diplomatic way did not serve defuse the commercial war. For this reason, since the beginning of next month, he would have decided to introduce customs rates of 50% on all European products.
Our negotiations are not leading to anything! For this reason, I propose the introduction of a fixed duty of 50% on all imports from the European Union, starting from 1 June 2025. No duty will be applied if the product is built or manufactured in the United States. Thanks for your attention!
The measure, he explained, will not hit European companies operating in the USA.
The reaction of European bags
The bags collapsed, crushed by sudden sales. Immediately after the announcement, the Italian stock exchange sold over 2%, reaching almost 3%in the following hours.
On the same line in Piazza Affari it moved Paris. The other markets have recorded drops of about a point and a half percentage. He kept better Londonwith -0.9%. The BTP-Bund spread has risen to 103 basis points.
Brussels’ response
The words of the former president relaunch the spectrum of a trade war on a global scale and open up to a fiery confrontation with Brussels. From the EU, however, no official comments have arrived. For now, the European Commission has declined requests for media declarations.
Maros SefcovicEU Commissioner for Commerce, should hear Jamieson GreerUSA CAPITATOR USA, around 17:30. The call will serve to clarify the positions of the two parts for a possible negotiation.
United States and European Union, according to what is learned from the international press, however, they would have already exchanged Lists of requests. The EU would provide for the willingness to face commercial imbalances and the zeroing of duties on industrial products.
Commercial exchanges and risks for the global economy
In 2024, the United States exported assets for 370.2 billion dollars to the European Union and imported about 605.8 billion, recording a commercial deficit of 235.6 billion dollarsincreasing compared to the previous year.
The new duties may have stagflation effects. Trump had already threatened a 20%duty in early April, then suspended, as part of his plan to introduce mutual rates. The new 50% leap is a radical and unexpected escalation, which could however end in nothing done.
The tycoon strategy seems in fact that of scare investors and commercial interlocutors, then portrayed with treelike the one started with the agreement with China or discounts of the rates. However, what could be the risks for Italy with 50%duties?
The risks for Italy with the commercial war
Italy, as a third European exporter to the USA after Germany and Ireland, risks direct repercussions: from the automotive sector to luxury, passing through agri -food and mechanical. At risk, therefore, there is all the Made in Italy.
According to the most recent data of Istat, in March 2025 Italian exports to the United States recorded a tendential growth of 41.2%, mainly driven by sales of maritime navigation means and pharmaceutical products. However, net of these sectors, exports to the United States showed a flexion of 4.1%.
The sectors of the Italian economy more exposed to the duties are today:
- machinery and equipment;
- motor vehicles;
- food and drinks, in particular wine and olive oil;
- Fashion and clothing.
The automotive proved to be among the most fragile sectors already in the first part of 2025, with a clear drop in exports to the USA due first to the threat and then the implementation of the duties – to date only 10% duties are active towards all countries.
The introduction of duties of 50% could further reduce the competitiveness of Italian companies, doing go up prices of local products in the USA. As a side effect, it will be necessary to invest large sums of money in search of markets alternative.
The possible decrease in exports to the United States could negatively influence Italian economic growth, with GDP which is already in slowing down for 2025 and the debt public that continues to climb.
The reason for the duties according to the Treasury Secretary
The Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent He explained what Trump led to make this choice towards Europe. The President of the United States believes that the proposals made by the European Union “are not good and of quality such as those presented by others”. In short, the other countries have been able to convince Trump which instead failed to the EU. Always according to Scott Beesent, the main reason is that there is a collective action problem with individual countries. Specifically, the Treasury Secretary believes that individual countries do not know what EU negotiations are based.
