'Remove Tariffs, Other Barriers': Ursula Corners Trump Hours After US Slaps Tariffs on EU Nations

Jan 18, 2026 | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a pointed message on global trade, calling for the removal of tariffs and other trade barriers just hours after the United States imposed new tariffs on EU nations.

EU Trade Chief: EU-South America Trade Pact Will Help 'Offset' Impact of US Tariffs | DW News

Jan 18, 2026 | The EU's trade chief says the bloc's new deal with South America’s Mercosur states will help "offset the negative consequences from the increased tariffs imposed by the United States."

Maros Sefcovic spoke to DW in Paraguay after signing the EU’s biggest ever trade deal, which officials hailed as a geopolitical milestone. But the ceremony was overshadowed by threats from US President Donald Trump to slap new tariffs on several European countries opposing his push to acquire Greenland.

Sefcovic said EU leaders were consulting on a joint response. "First and foremost, we again stayed very, very, clear on our principles for us, territorial sovereignty, integrity and international law are absolutely key principles," Sefcovic said, warning fresh US tariffs could trigger a "very dangerous downward spiral."

Sefcovic told DW formally approving an EU-US trade deal struck last year will be "very complicated" after Trump's latest announcements.