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EU chief has "good exchange" with Trump over phone

A "good exchange" occurred on Sunday between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump, a Commission spokesperson said on Monday. The high-level interaction comes as the European Union intensifies its efforts to finalize a trade deal with Washington before the critical July 9 deadline.

Reuters DIPLOMACY
Published July 07,2025
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump had a "good exchange" on Sunday, a Commission spokesperson said on Monday, adding that the EU's aim remained to reach a trade deal with Washington by July 9.

"We want to reach a deal with the U.S. We want to avoid tariffs. We believe they cause pain. We want to achieve win-win outcomes, not lose-lose outcomes", the spokesperson told reporters during a daily press briefing.

The Trump administration has said letters would go out notifying trading partners without a deal by July 9 of higher tariffs that would take effect on August 1.