President Trump said Friday he will raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the European Union to 25 percent next week, accusing Brussels of breaching the trade framework the two sides struck at his Turnberry golf course last summer. The White House said the increase will be imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the national-security statute that survived the Supreme Court ruling that gutted the rest of the president's tariff agenda in February.

The move targets the same European automakers Trump shielded nine months ago. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen import most of the vehicles they sell in the United States from European plants and now face a duty 10 points above the 15 percent ceiling the deal set. The announcement reverses the direction of trade policy from a day earlier, when Trump lifted his 10 percent tariff on Scotch whisky during King Charles III's state visit.

Truth Social post

Trump posted the decision on Truth Social without naming the legal authority. "Based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States," he wrote. "The Tariff will be increased to 25%. It is fully understood and agreed that, if they produce Cars and Trucks in U.S.A. Plants, there will be NO TARIFF."

Speaking to reporters as he left for Florida, Trump said the EU was not adhering to the framework "as usual" and predicted the higher rate would push European manufacturers to relocate production. He cited no specific violation.

Section 232 mechanism

The Supreme Court in February struck down Trump's reciprocal tariffs in a 6-3 decision, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act "does not authorize the President to impose tariffs." The administration replaced the IEEPA duties with a 10 percent global rate under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, later raised to 15 percent, that carries a 150-day expiration.

Section 232 carries no such clock. Trump used it in March 2025 to impose 25 percent duties on foreign autos and certain parts on national-security grounds, then trimmed the EU rate as part of the Turnberry deal. A White House official said Friday the bloc has "failed to make substantial progress on their agreed-upon commitments" and confirmed the new rate will run through Section 232. "The White House has always been clear that the President reserves the right to adjust tariff rates if our trade deal partners fail to abide by their commitments," the official said.

Brussels response

The European Commission said it is continuing to ratify the Turnberry text on schedule. "We maintain close contact with our counterparts, including as we also seek clarity on US commitments," a Commission spokesperson said, adding that the bloc would "keep our options open to protect EU interests" if Washington moved against the joint statement. The European Parliament had been expected to complete ratification next month, PBS NewsHour reported. EU officials projected the deal would save European automakers 500 million to 600 million euros a month; bilateral trade in goods and services totaled 1.7 trillion euros in 2024.

Partisan silence

No Democratic or Republican lawmakers had reacted on the record by press time; wire coverage Friday came only from CNBC and PBS NewsHour, and no left- or right-leaning partisan response was captured. Scott Linciombe of the libertarian Cato Institute, quoted by PBS, said European officials had appeared to be complying and faulted Trump-era trade deals, which he said "all rely on handshakes and winks and hopes that Trump doesn't get mad about something."

The tariff lands as Trump faces 3.3 percent annual inflation for March, higher than when he took office, and 30 percent approval of his economic management in an AP-NORC poll. The Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz since late February have lifted oil and gas prices and slowed global growth forecasts. Whether the new rate sticks will turn on Brussels, which postponed its ratification vote in February and on Friday left retaliation open.