As European Union leaders work through the consequences of their new trading arrangement with the US, they are confronting the bitter reality of just how far they have fallen.

U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have announced a sweeping trade deal. It raises tariffs on most European goods to 15%.

Economists and observers have been quick to highlight discrepancies between the White House and the European Commission’s version of events.

The European Union dodged an imminent trade war with the US this week, but markets and a growing chorus of critics have dispelled early hopes that the deal will bring a sense of stability back to transatlantic relations.

German auto companies embraced greater clarity but warned that even the lower rate of tariffs agreed between Brussels and Washington would still hurt.

The United States and European Union clinched a trade agreement on Sunday that will see EU exports taxed at 15 percent, in a bid to resolve a transatlantic tariff stand-off that threatened to explode into a full-blown trade war.

Pact removes a major risk for markets and the global economy, given the transatlantic partners did $2 trillion worth of cross-border commerce in 2024.