EU postpones punitive tariffs by 90 days
Negotiations with the US get one last chance
On April 10, 2025, the European Union officially announced that the punitive tariffs already imposed on US imports, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, would be suspended for a further 90 days. The background to this is a new escalation in the transatlantic trade conflict after former President Donald Trump once again put verbal pressure on Brussels in a widely publicized statement.
President Ursula von der Leyen explains:
โWe have taken note of President Trump's announcement.
We want to give negotiations a chance.
We will finalize the adoption of the EU countermeasures, which were strongly supported by our member states, but will put them on hold for 90 days.
If the negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will come into effect.
Preparations for further countermeasures are continuing.
As I have already said, all options remain on the table.โ
The statement makes it clear that the EU is prepared to de-escalate the situationโbut not at any price. If Washington fails to make any substantial concessions, new trade barriers could be imposed, which would hit the motorcycle industry particularly hard.
Trump: โThe EU is still taking advantage of us.โ
Donald Trump commented on the EU's action as a โbelated admissionโ that it had โlived off American industry for years.โ He demanded the immediate abolition of all European import restrictionsโotherwise, he said, the US would โrespond faster and harder than they can blink.โ.
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From a biker's perspective, this decision is a reliefโat least temporarily. The tariffs would have been a serious blow to importers, dealers, and ultimately buyers and everyone associated with the Harley-Davidson brand. Now it is up to both sides to take the negotiations seriously.
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