When the trade ministers of the so-called Group of Seven, or G7, nations met in Paris this week, they were supposed to be talking about the most pressing issues facing global trade, including critical minerals and the impact of the Iran war.
Instead, the meeting was overshadowed by threats made by US President Donald Trump to impose a 25% tariff on imports of European vehicles.
Trump made the threats earlier this week and has justified them by arguing that the European Union — members France, Germany and Italy also belong to the G7 — hasn't fulfilled its obligations under a previous US-EU tariff deal known as the Turnberry Agreement.
The deal was struck at Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland and both sides agreed the US would only impose a maximum tariff of 15% on EU goods, while the EU would eliminate all tariffs on US industrial products. The Europeans reject the idea that they haven't kept up their end of the bargain, although they have yet to ratify the agreement in the European Parliament.
Deal done: European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen shakes hands with Donald Trump after meeting in Turnberry, Scotland, in the summer of 2025Image: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
