European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to securing a trade deal with the US before the July 9 deadline. In a social media post Von der Leyen described the exchange as a “good call ahead of the G7 Summit,” noting that they also discussed the issues of Ukraine and the Middle East.

Tensions escalated after the US raised tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50% earlier this month, alarming European producers. Trump had threatened broader tariffs on all EU imports starting June 1 but agreed to delay them until July 9 after speaking with von der Leyen.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that the EU may be among the last partners to finalize a trade deal, citing slow progress and internal divisions within the 27-member bloc.