Auto tariffs: US-EU agreement reached: maximum tariff at 15%

Brussels and Washington, two worlds geographically (and not only) distant, have closed the gap, writing a page in economic history destined to leave its mark: the political agreement between Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen , reached last July, has become a transatlantic trade agreement. Not just a rebalancing of tariffs, but a true redefinition of the balance of power, between the Old Continent and the United States.

A pact that was hard to imagine until a few months ago. Yet, it happened. Sealed by a joint declaration, the agreement introduces a maximum 15% tariff on almost all EU exports to the United States. The European auto industry can breathe a sigh of relief, after an interim period of fearful uncertainty.

From threat to measure

Anyone who knows Trump knows how much he loves to play hardball. During his first term, he raised tariffs on European cars to 27.5%, a move that angered the EU and sent industrialists in Turin, Stuttgart, and Paris into a tailspin. Today, however, the United States has agreed to lower the threshold to 15% , a breakthrough that restores momentum to a strategic sector of the European economy. But, as always, nothing is free: the reduction will only come into effect when the EU begins lowering its own barriers to American products. A bargain. A handshake between two giants.

Not just cars and automotive components. The new regime covers pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, timber, aircraft, cork, and a host of goods that have so far been held hostage by endless negotiations. Starting September 1st, many of these products will enter a Most Favored Nation (MFN) regime, which Brussels aims to extend to other sectors, seeking to create a protective customs shield.

On steel and aluminum, however, the language becomes militaristic. Words like "global overcapacity" and "supply chain defense" evoke an economic cold war rather than a trade negotiation. Both sides of the Atlantic are raising a joint barrier, based on quotas and restrictions, to prevent the silent invasion of the Asian metal. Here, trade becomes geopolitical. And every tariff, a trench.

Energy, chips and cannons

The scope of the agreement, however, goes beyond goods. Europe has committed to purchasing US liquefied natural gas, oil, and nuclear products worth $750 billion by 2028. It's a clear choice: less dependence on the East, more alliances in the West. Artificial intelligence is also on the table; to keep pace in the race for supercomputers, Brussels has secured $40 billion in US AI chips. Then there's the defense aspect: " We will increase defense procurement from the United States ," said European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. Weapons have returned to the forefront of European politics.

The understanding of the giants

In 2024, trade between the US and the EU exceeded €1.6 trillion , over €4.2 billion a day. A figure that dwarfs every other economic relationship in the world. This new agreement could be the spark for a new era. " An agreement that strengthens transatlantic relations ," von der Leyen called it. A press conference phrase, yes, but one that embodies a profound truth. We'll see if this renewed chapter of friendship will lend a helping hand to the Old World's economy and auto sector, much more weakened and fragile than in its glorious past.