By Staff, Agencies

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has voiced her support for President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily suspend reciprocal tariffs on more than 75 countries. She described the move as a positive step toward bringing stability to the global economy, especially amid growing trade tensions between the US and China.

Von der Leyen stressed that stable and predictable trade conditions are essential for businesses and global supply chains. She reiterated her opposition to tariffs, which she said act like taxes that harm both consumers and businesses. Her comments align with her continued push for a “zero-for-zero” tariff agreement between the European Union and the US.

She also reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to open and fair trade, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue with the US to forge a mutually beneficial trade relationship. Von der Leyen highlighted the EU’s broader strategy of diversifying its trade partnerships with major global economies and underlined efforts to reduce internal trade barriers within the EU’s single market — a key element of economic resilience during turbulent times.

Her remarks come as trade tensions between the US and China escalate sharply. On Wednesday, Trump announced a dramatic increase in tariffs on Chinese imports, raising them to 125%. China swiftly retaliated by hiking its own tariffs on US goods from 34% to 84%, effective April 10.

In contrast, Trump authorized a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for over 75 countries currently engaged in trade talks with the US, including India. These nations have largely refrained from retaliating against recent US trade actions and are pursuing active negotiations with various US agencies.

President Trump justified the tariff hike on China as a response to what he described as Beijing’s disregard for global market norms. He defended the 125% rate as necessary, while framing the 10% reciprocal tariff pause for other countries as a gesture to support ongoing diplomatic and trade discussions.