When world leaders meet, beautiful photos often appear, but the details of conversations usually remain a mystery. It was also supposed to be on Sunday, July 27, when Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump met in Scotland. The chairwoman of the European Commission and the US president wanted to end the dispute that has been going on for months and agree on the new customs.
No clerk revealed with what demands von der Leyen joined the decisive evening negotiations. However, the tips are contained in the card that Trump held in his hand during a press conference. It allows you to rarely see backstage.
The card has a large inscription “EU offer”, or “EU offer”. The community of countries, which is written in capital letters below, proposes to reduce all your own duties to zero – except for some “AG products”, which may mean “agricultural products”, i.e. agricultural products. In addition, we are talking about “mutual duties in the amount of 10 percent”.
However, this is just the beginning.
Someone – perhaps Trump himself – wrote “15%” next to the fat marker. Ultimately, there was no 10 % mutual duties, only one -sided duties of 15 percent. for European products. They became part of the agreement that both parties later announced the same evening. In this matter, von der Leyen apparently failed to push her position.
The note is difficult to read, because from the observer's point of view the letter is inverted. So much remains the sphere of speculation. For example, it is not clear who added handwritten annotations. Nevertheless The card shows that the EU failed to push through its main demands, and Trump rejected the proposals of the chairwoman of the committee several times.
One concession to the EU
Ursula von der Leyen offered Trump that the EU “during her term” could buy American energy for $ 600 billion. [2 bln 207 mld zł] – This is probably primarily about liquid gas (LPG). The US President's card under this amount is the number “750” written in a sloppy letter. Trump apparently wanted to increase this sum. And he achieved his goal.
It was similar in terms of additional investments of European enterprises on the other side of the Atlantic in the coming years. The offer of the European Commission according to Trump's notes is $ 500 billion. [1 bln 838 mld]. Hand -added amount: 600. Here, too, Trump has put on his own.
In one issue, however, the Republican went to the EU. Ursula von der Leyen was in favor of a duty in the amount of 15 percent. For European cars, and Trump accepted it. Currently, the rate is 27.5 percent, so Brussels has a little victory here. However, the document also reveals a large concession to the United States: The EU promises to abolish all duties to American goods.
Pharmaceutical products will not be covered by a flat -rate duty. The notes show that the EU offered a 10 % duty, the same number of Europeans were to offer in the case of “Semis”. Semis in this case probably means semiconductors, i.e. chips.
Continued article under video material
Autonomous taxis and Cybertrucki on European roads
The last point on Trump's notes, which has been further emphasized. It sounds: “The EU accepts American car standards.” It is not clear what exactly it means. However, standards and standards are often a great obstacle to trade. Currently, vehicles require separate approval for each market. Not every car that can travel on the roads in the USA receives approval in Europe. A known example is Cybertruck from Tesla, which you can ride in America, but not in Europe.
If the EU actually agrees to the adoption of American standards, this may also be important for autonomous vehicles. So far, Waymo and Tesla's autonomous taxis only run around American cities, they have no approval in Europe. If the agreement from Scotland also covers these standards, theoretically, American autonomous taxi may ride in EU countries.
At the very bottom of the page, someone was by hand “Open Up Country”: “Opening the country”. It is not clear what this means. It can be a central demand for the President of the United States to make Europe more open its markets to American products. If this is the case, the “country” would be the whole EU – which is in fact a community of states.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
