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VDMA: EU-US tariff deal a ‘slap in the face’
01 September 2025
The VDMA, a German association of 3,600 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies, has called the proposal to remove duties on imported US industrial goods a ‘slap in the face’ for Europe’s mechanical engineering industry.
The US has imposed trading tariffs around the world. Image: Adobe Stock
On 27 July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump agreed a deal on tariffs and trade. The deal established a single, all-inclusive US tariff ceiling of 15% for EU goods.
The European Commission recently proposed removing duties on imported US industrial goods in return for reduced US tariffs on European cars.
Oliver Richtberg, Head of VDMA Foreign Trade, comments, “Duty-free status for US products while extending punitive tariffs to European machinery – that would not only be unbalanced, but also a direct slap in the face for one of the main pillars of European industry. The consequences would be serious: job losses and an enormous competitive disadvantage for our companies.”
Richtberg added that, “Around 30% of machinery imports from the EU are now subject to a punitive tariff of 50% on their steel and aluminum content – combined with bureaucratic hurdles that are almost impossible to overcome, especially for medium-sized companies. The list of affected products is regularly expanded without warning.”
The VDMA has urged the EU Commission to renegotiate and has said that mechanical engineering products must be clearly and permanently exempted from sectoral tariffs.
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