Von der Leyen proposed a 'zero to zero' customs duty agreement for all industrial goods to Trump.

Ursula von der Leyen stated, "Europe is always ready for a good deal," as trade tensions with the US reached an all-time high.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that they proposed the mutual elimination of tariffs on all industrial goods as part of trade negotiations with the US. Leyen emphasized the intention to retaliate against Donald Trump's policies if the talks fail. Trump announced that a 20% tariff would be imposed on imports from the European Union, set to take effect on April 9. Steel, aluminum, and automobiles will be subject to a separate 25% tariff. Over 380 billion euros in EU-made products will be affected. Pharmaceuticals, copper, lumber, semiconductors, and energy products are exempt from this. In a statement on Monday afternoon, President Leyen said, "We are ready to negotiate with the US. Indeed, as we have successfully done with many of our other trading partners, we have proposed a zero-for-zero tariff for industrial goods," she stated. "Because Europe is always ready for a good deal. Therefore, we are keeping this on the table. However, we are also ready to respond with countermeasures and defend our interests." Von der Leyen mentioned that the "zero-for-zero" agreement has been proposed "numerous times" in the past for the automotive sector, but that there has not been "sufficient feedback" from Washington. A spokesperson indicated that as negotiations intensified, the Commission had recently expanded this proposal to cover all industrial products, but no further details were provided. "We prefer a negotiated solution," said von der Leyen, warning that her administration would use "all cards," including a countermeasure tool that was implemented in 2023 but never activated, to respond "if necessary." Von der Leyen described Trump's comprehensive tariffs as a "significant turning point for the US" that would impose "huge costs" on American consumers and businesses and deliver a "major" blow to the global economy. While Washington described the tariffs as "reciprocal," Brussels deemed this logic as "neither credible nor justified." In addition to the sudden effect that risks wiping billions of dollars off EU-US trade flows, the European Commission is also concerned about the potential consequences of Trump's decision on international trade, particularly in Asia. Asian countries are affected by higher tariff rates compared to the EU: 24% for Malaysia, 26% for India, 32% for Indonesia, 36% for Thailand, 46% for Vietnam, 48% for Laos, and 49% for Cambodia. For China, a total rate of 54% was reached, with an additional 34% "reciprocal" tariff on top of the previous 20%. Beijing has already responded by imposing an additional 34% tariff on all American goods. These rates are so high that Brussels fears that export-driven Asian economies will remain outside the American market and redirect their products to Europe instead. China, which is already under intense scrutiny for flooding the West with low-cost, heavily subsidized goods, is particularly concerning. In her speech on Monday, von der Leyen announced the establishment of a new "task force" to closely monitor changes in global trade. "We will also protect ourselves against indirect effects through trade diversion. For this purpose, we will establish an 'Import Surveillance Task Force.' "We will look at what our historical imports are and whether there is a specific increase that requires us to act suddenly in a specific product or sector."