The EU is ready to retaliate to safeguard its interests if the U.S. proceeds with imposing a threatened 30% tariff on European goods starting on August 1, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on July 12.

France has been one of the loudest voices in Europe calling for retaliatory tariffs against the United States if a deal isn’t reached. Macron reiterated a plea for the European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the EU countries, to mobilise “all the instruments at its disposal”.

The EU will delay its plan to hit the US with tariffs on €21bn of its annual exports to Europe on Tuesday in the hope of coming to an agreement after Donald Trump announced that he would hit the bloc with 30 per cent tariffs from August 1.