Tariff tensions: Avoiding an EU-US trade war
Mark Leonard welcomes Tobias Gehrke to unpack the escalating EU-US trade war and Europe’s next moves
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Tobias Gehrke, ECFR senior policy fellow, for a 15-minute Emergency Room episode dissecting the collapse of an EU-US trade deal. President Donald Trump’s last-minute letter, threatening to impose tariffs of 30% on the EU by August 1st, shattered expectations of a negotiated settlement—and prompted EU member states to prepare a €93bn retaliation package which targets American goods.
Mark and Tobias explore why Trump upended talks, the EU’s hesitation to deploy its anti-coercion instrument and the urgent need for political (not technocratic) engagement. As trade tensions collide with security priorities like Ukraine, can Europe wield its economic leverage to avert a full-blown trade war?
Bookshelf
Brussels hold’em: European cards against Trumpian coercion by Tobias Gehrke
What went wrong in Europe’s trade gamble with Trump by Tobias Gehrke
Measured response: How to design a European instrument against economic coercion by Jonathan Hackenbroich and Pawel Zerka
This podcast was recorded July 14th, 2025.
