A day after it was announced, confusion has emerged over key elements of the EU–US trade agreement, with Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen offering sharply diverging interpretations. While both sides present the accord as a breakthrough in easing transatlantic tensions, their public statements reveal disagreement on critical issues ranging from pharmaceutical tariffs to metals and industrial goods.
On Sunday evening, Trump stated that the deal did not include pharmaceuticals, suggesting that these products may be subject to tariffs exceeding the agreed 15 per cent limit. However, von der Leyen told reporters that the 15 per cent cap applied to most sectors, including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceutical products, describing it as a firm upper limit and stating that no accumulation would be permitted.
Disagreements also extend to other sectors. Trump claims that the current tariffs of 50 per cent on EU steel and aluminum imports will not be changed. However, von der Leyen insists that these duties will be reduced and replaced with a quota-based system. According to Bloomberg, the current deal excludes EU metal exports, meaning they will remain subject to the high tariffs.
Von der Leyen emphasized that Sunday’s agreement was merely a "framework" that will require further detailed negotiations in the months ahead.
The preceding summary is from the following article: Trump and von der Leyen offer conflicting accounts of EU–US trade agreement