President Donald Trump is on the second day of a trip to his family-owned golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, on a private visit as he prepares to meet Sunday with the European Union (EU)’s President Ursula von der Leyen for tense trade negotiations. Trump landed in Scotland Friday, and the negotiations come just days before Trump’s delayed tariff deadline is set to kick in on Aug. 1, after multiple setbacks.
The EU is one of Washington’s top commercial partners, and is the largest trading bloc in the world, but trade negotiations have been tumultuous in Trump’s first months as President, with Trump repeatedly calling the European Union “difficult to deal with.” During his first term as President, Trump even said that the bloc was “formed in order to take advantage of us on trade”, something he has often repeated since taking office again.
The EU is currently facing the prospect of tariffs on 70% of its exports, including 50% on steel and aluminium, 25% on automobiles, and baseline 10% on most exports as a whole, which Trump has threatened would increase to 30% next month without a deal. Still, earlier this month, the European Union suspended its retaliatory measures against Trump’s tariffs in hopes of forming a deal, and Trump and von der Leyen seem optimistic about their chances.
Read More: E.U. Delays Retaliatory Measures Against U.S. In Hopes of Reaching a Deal by Aug. 1 After Trump Announces 30% Tariff
“Following a good call with [Trump], we have agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss transatlantic trade relations, and how we can keep them strong,” von der Leyen said in a post on X on Friday. Trump said Friday prior to leaving America that there is a “50-50” chance that a deal will get done with the EU, something he repeated to reporters from the golf course on Sunday.
Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security at the European Commission, said on social media Sunday he is going to join von der Leyen in…
