Von der leyen of the eu defends 'strongly, if not perfect' trade transaction

(Bloomberg) – Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, defended the US trade agreement with the US, arguing that it brings stability and avoids the tension with an important ally. A trade war between the European Union and the US would be celebrated by Russia and China, Von der Leyen wrote in a guest commentary for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published on Sunday. “Instead, we agreed on a strong, if not perfect agreement,” she said, warning that retaliation tariffs are at risk of promoting an expensive trade conflict with “negative consequences for our workers, consumers and our industry.” Unlike other US trading partners, who presented new base rates over existing rates, the EU has a 15% rate that is ‘all -encompassing’, Von der Leyen said. “It allows European goods to access the US market under more favorable conditions, giving EU businesses a significant benefit.” The preliminary agreement, which was concluded with US President Donald Trump in Scotland last month, has criticized European lawmakers and operational groups. Last week, the two parties moved to the formalization of the treaty, with the plans to reduce levies on European cars and possibly open the door for future discounts on steel and aluminum. European officials say they will keep pressure for lower rates on products such as wine and drinks after not securing exemptions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also defended the agreement and said that although the rates would weigh the economy of Germany, a full -fledged trade war with Washington could have been much worse. More stories like these are available on Bloomberg.com © 2025 Bloomberg LP