Europe Secured a Tariff Delay From Trump, but Can It Now Make a Deal?

When President Trump this weekend delayed 50 percent tariffs on the European Union by more than a month, officials on both sides of the Atlantic billed the move as an opportunity to kick-start discussions and reach a trade deal.

“Talks will begin rapidly,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social on Sunday night, after speaking by phone with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.

And Paula Pinho, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, said at a news conference on Monday that the discussion between the two leaders offered “a new impetus for the negotiations.”

But the path toward de-escalation remains fraught. The United States and the European Union still have different priorities, ones that could remain an obstacle to a rapid agreement. And it is not clear that either the demands or offers on the table have changed.

The goal is for the two sides to reach some solution before July 9, when the 50 percent levies are now set to take effect — delayed from the June 1 date Mr. Trump had set when he first announced them last week.

Discussions have already resumed. Maros Sefcovic, the E.U.’s trade commissioner, had a Monday evening phone call with Howard Lutnick, the U.S. commerce secretary. After they spoke, Mr. Sefcovic said in a post on X that the European Union “remains fully committed to constructive and focused efforts” toward a deal.