Donald Trump and the EU's deal: What it means for our pockets

It's undoubtedly the most important news of the beginning of this week. The European Union , represented by Ursula von der Leyen, and US President Donald Trump have just reached a historic trade agreement .

Donald Trump and the EU reach an agreement: what's next?

It must be said that since Donald Trump took office, things have changed significantly. Europe has been so threatened by the 30% tariffs that, to avoid this catastrophic scenario at all costs, it has begun negotiations.

Donald Trump's speech is still rather ambivalent. The White House resident has said he's happy with this agreement, which he considers the most important of all . But at the same time, he's making thinly veiled threats: three or four points of friction remain , without specifying which, of course.

To get to the heart of the matter, let's take a closer look at what was negotiated in Glasgow this weekend. Donald Trump lowered customs duties from a hypothetical 30% to 15% . This will be paid to the US government on all European products entering the country.

At the same time, Donald Trump has managed to negotiate two things. The first is the purchase of $750 billion in American energy . The American president also expects massive investments by European companies in his country. In total, $600 billion must be disbursed by the 27-member bloc.

What changes for us?

Even if all this seems far away, the repercussions of this agreement will be very tangible for us. The first downside will be a weakened European economy .

The United States is the primary export market for many European companies. But with a minimum 15% price increase, sales in Uncle Sam's country risk collapsing. This reduction in sales will, in effect, lead to a decline in turnover and production. Some sectors, such as the automotive industry , risk paying a very high price. In Germany, major manufacturers are already expecting a decline in sales in the coming months.

This isn't the first time an American president has complained about trade with Europe. Trump may seem more aggressive, but he's actually just continuing a story that's already begun. Take Germany. In 2024, it sold $70 billion more to the United States than it bought from them.

And this isn't something new from the last year; it's been going on for a long time. Even Barack Obama, when he was president, had already complained about this situation. The difference is that Obama limited himself to verbal protests, while Trump immediately threatened tariffs .