A trade war between the European Union and the US would have been “celebrated” by Russia and China, von der Leyen wrote in a guest commentary for German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published on Sunday.
“Instead, we agreed on a strong, if not perfect deal,” she said, warning that retaliatory tariffs risked fueling a costly trade conflict with “negative consequences for our workers, consumers, and our industry.”
Unlike other US trade partners, who’ve been handed new base rates on top of existing tariffs, the EU faces a 15% tariff that is “all inclusive,” von der Leyen said. “That allows European goods to access the US market under more favorable conditions, which gives EU companies a significant advantage.”
The preliminary agreement, struck with US President Donald Trump in Scotland last month, has drawn criticism from European lawmakers and industry groups. Last week, the two sides moved toward formalizing the pact, detailing plans to reduce levies on European automobiles and potentially opening the door to future discounts on steel and aluminum.
European officials say they will keep pressing for lower tariffs on products such as wine and spirits after failing to secure exemptions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also defended the deal on Saturday, saying that while the tariffs will weigh on Germany’s economy, a full-blown trade war with Washington could have been far worse.
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