European Commission Leader Floats ‘Zero-for-Zero’ Tariffs

Ursula von der Leyen’s comments come after the Trump administration announced a 20 percent tariff on European Union countries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on April 7, 2025. (Nicolas Tucat/ AFP) Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images

The president of the European Commission suggested that the 27-nation European Union offer “zero-for-zero” tariffs on certain goods amid market uncertainty over duties announced this past week by the Trump administration.

“We stand ready to negotiate with the U.S. Indeed, we have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods as we have successfully done with many other trading partners,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters on Monday.