Trade officials within the European Union have expressed doubt that negotiations with the United States will be finalized by Trump’s July 9th deadline. Despite a recent surge in pace, they now anticipate a bare-bones agreement on general principles at best, leaving many crucial details unresolved. This pessimistic outlook stems from the White House’s threat to impose tariffs exceeding €380 billion (roughly $434 billion), covering nearly 70% of European exports to the US if no deal is reached by then. These tariffs would directly impact almost all EU exports. The EU, anticipating a trade war, has prepared countermeasures, including potential retaliatory tariffs and exploring strategic areas where US dependence on the EU could be leveraged for pressure. While officials continue to engage in discussions with the US Trade Representative and Commerce Secretary, there’s been no official response from Washington yet. The talks focus on sectors like steel, aluminum, aircraft, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors. However, they are also grappling with issues surrounding tariffs and non-tariff barriers.