By Josh Christenson
Published April 7, 2025

WASHINGTON — President Trump turned down a proposal by the European Union Monday for a “zero-for-zero” tariff scheme on industrial products, saying the offer was not enough to reverse 20% duties on imports.

“The EU has been very tough over the years,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the offer. “It was formed to really do damage to the United States in trade.”

“They don’t take our cars, like Japan in that sense. They don’t take our agricultural product; they don’t take anything practically,” he went on.

“We have very many countries that are coming to negotiate deals with us. And they’re going to be fair deals,” he responded. “In certain cases, they’re going to be paying substantial tariffs.”

“This is America First,” he said. “There can be permanent tariffs, and there can also be negotiations.”

“It’s the only chance that we will have to reset the table,” he added, noting the loss of 90,000 American plants since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994.