EU pledges to strike trade deal with US amid tariff twists

BRUSSELS - The European Commission remains "fully committed" to reaching a trade deal with the United States amid tariff twists, according to a senior European Union (EU) official.

In a Monday post on social media platform X, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic wrote: "The European Commission remains fully committed to constructive and focused efforts at pace towards an EU-US deal," adding that Brussels would continue to stay in constant contact with Washington.

His remarks followed his calls with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump said talks with the 27-member bloc were "going nowhere" and threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on all EU imports from June 1. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen phoned Trump on Sunday, after which he agreed to postpone the planned tariff increase until July 9.

Economists and market analysts have also criticized the unpredictability of US trade policies, noting that such volatility undermines confidence in the US as a reliable trading partner.