Tipsheet

This Newspaper Had the Best Line About Trump's Recent Trade Deal With the European Union

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  July 27, 2025 10:00 PM

Yes, Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland was going to last a few days. He played some golf and is coming home with a massive trade deal with the European Union. He met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to announce it today:

President Donald Trump announced a landmark trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, marking a major victory for American energy and economic leadership. The EU has committed to purchasing a staggering $750 billion in U.S. energy exports—cementing America’s role as a global energy powerhouse—while also pledging an additional $600 billion in new investments beyond prior commitments. This deal not only strengthens transatlantic ties but also delivers a significant win for American workers, industries, and the broader economy, showcasing Trump’s continued prowess in negotiating outcomes that put U.S. interests front and center.

And the Financial Times had the best line for this new agreement [emphasis mine]:

Officials will try to present it as a status quo deal, since the 15 per cent theoretically includes the pre-existing average US tariff of 4.8 per cent. In fact, on a trade weighted basis, the pre-existing US tariff on imports from the EU was only 1.6 per cent.

There is no hiding the fact the EU was rolled over by the Trump juggernaut, said one ambassador. “Trump worked out exactly where our pain threshold is.”