The US president says the chances of reaching a trade contract with the EU are “50-50” than the tariff deadline on August 1.
President of the United States Donald Trump arrives in Scotland, where he will meet European and British leaders to visit the golf course for trade negotiations.
Trump landed in the UK late Friday, where he will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Kiel Starmer and European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen.
Before departing from the White House, the US president told reporters he had discussed priorities and “probably improving” the trade contract between Washington and London.
Von Der Leyen said Friday he had a “good” call with Trump.
“We agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday, discussing transatlantic trade relations and how to keep them strong,” she said in a social media post.
Shortly after taking office, Trump imposed tariffs on imports from around the world, and he invited countries to negotiate bilateral deals with the United States to avoid or reduce further trade barriers.
The UK agreed to a trade agreement with the US in June, expanding access to American products in the UK market.
The transaction also sets tariffs for the first 100,000 British vehicles exported to the US at 10% each year.
However, the US trade war with the European Union has intensified, in contrast. Earlier this month, Trump announced a 30% tariff on EU imports starting on August 1st.
European leaders have expressed their willingness to negotiate transactions, and at the same time threatening to impose their own trade measures against the United States.
Trump said on Friday that the prospect of securing a trade deal with the EU was “a possibility of 50-50, perhaps less.”
“It would be a contract where they have to buy their tariffs,” he said.
Beyond economic negotiations, Trump is expected to visit Aberdeen and Scotland’s Turnberry golf courses, where he said he will host priority for dinner.
The US president, whose mother was Scottish, is expected to face protests as he travels around Scotland.
A group called The Stop Trump Coalition announced plans for a protest on Saturday, describing an “festival of resistance” featuring environmental and anti-war advocates.
“Donald Trump may shake hands with our leader, but he is not a Scottish friend,” group campaigner Arena Ivanova said in a statement.
“We, the people of Scotland, see the damage he has done, from the democracy in the United States to the workers, to the global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, to the principles of justice and humanity.”
The National, a daily newspaper defending Scotland’s independence, described Trump’s frontline headline visit:
Trump’s visit to Scotland comes as he faces pressure at home on his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In the UK, he meets Trump during the growth of calls from within his own Labour party to recognize the Palestinian state amid the starvation crisis imposed by Israel in Gaza.
Earlier on Friday, Trump rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that Paris would recognize the Palestinian state.
“There’s the good news here. What he says doesn’t matter,” Trump told reporters. “Nothing will change.”
