U.S. President Donald Trump presenting a chart listing reciprocal tariff rates during a press event at the White House in early April, where he announced sweeping import duties on goods from the European Union and other trade partners. Photo source: White House
DELPHI, April 10 – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a 90-day suspension of new tariffs on European Union goods, signaling a potential shift toward negotiations amid heightened transatlantic trade tensions.
The move was welcomed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in an official statement and was later addressed by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a discussion at the 10th Delphi Economic Forum, where he called for “constructive dialogue” and a “mutually beneficial trade deal”.
President Trump had previously imposed a 20 percent tariff on all EU imports, triggering a retaliatory response from Brussels worth 22 billion euros. On April 10, Trump confirmed that while existing 10 percent duties would remain in place, new tariffs would be suspended for three months to allow for what he described as “fair deal” discussions with European partners.
EU pauses retaliatory tariffs
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Following President Trump’s suspension of his reciprocal tariffs, the EU paused its planned countermeasures for 90 days.
“I welcome President Trump’s announcement to pause reciprocal tariffs. It’s an important step towards stabilising the global economy,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement issued later that day. “Tariffs are taxes that only hurt businesses and consumers. That’s why I’ve consistently advocated for a zero-for-zero tariff agreement between the European Union and the United States.”
Von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to constructive negotiations and underscored the bloc’s parallel focus on diversifying trade relationships and reinforcing its internal single market.
“This crisis has made one thing clear: in times of uncertainty, the single market is our anchor of stability and resilience,” she noted.
Mitsotakis urges ‘mutually beneficial’ trade deal
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in conversation with Robert D. Kaplan, the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, during the 10th Delphi Economic Forum in Greece.
Speaking at the 10th Delphi Economic Forum the same day, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Trump’s decision to “push the pause button”, describing the suspension as a “window of opportunity” for both sides to reach a mutually beneficial outcome.
“I do believe that we need to use this 90-day window to have a very honest discussion about the trade regime between the United States and Europe,” Mitsotakis said. “If a deal, to use the language of the President of the United States, can be done, it needs to be a mutually beneficial deal.”
Highlighting Greece’s position as a small but globally connected economy, Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of preserving free trade and international supply chains. “Shipping is a lifeline of global trade… and we have every interest in protecting a rules-based international order that fosters rather than restricts trade,” he said.
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Mitsotakis also cautioned against the long-term costs of escalating trade barriers.
“There will only be losers if we don’t manage to resolve this,” he said, adding that tariffs on European products like olives and olive oil were “hard to justify”, particularly when such goods are not produced domestically in the U.S.
In an interview with Breitbart News earlier this week, the Greek leader had called for a “win-win” solution and stressed Greece’s strategic value as a bridge between the US, Europe, and broader trade corridors such as the IMEEC initiative.
President Trump, asked about Mitsotakis’ remarks by reporters, responded: “I agree. I know him, he’s a good man. I appreciate his comments.”
The 10th Delphi Economic Forum opened on Wednesday, April 9, in Delphi, Greece. Held under the theme “Realignments”, the forum brings together global leaders, policymakers, and analysts to explore pressing issues including geopolitical shifts, energy security, innovation, and sustainability. The event runs through April 12.
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