US Ambassador to EU Andrew Puzder Talks Trade Tensions

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks

Episode: US Ambassador to EU Andrew Puzder Talks Trade Tensions

Date: May 6, 2026
Host: Bloomberg Radio Host
Guest: Andrew Puzder, US Ambassador to the European Union

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Overview

This episode dives deep into the escalating trade tensions between the United States and the European Union following President Trump’s announcement to potentially raise tariffs on EU automobiles to 25%. US Ambassador to the EU, Andrew Puzder, joins the Brussels studio to clarify the US position, recount the timeline and contentions of the auto tariff deal, discuss legislative hurdles in the EU, and touch on broader US-EU relations—especially in light of the ongoing US-led war in Iran.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Root of the Trade Dispute ([00:26]–[01:01])

• President Trump is threatening to reinstate higher tariffs on EU autos, citing EU non-compliance with a previously negotiated deal.

• Puzder recounts: In March 2025, the US auto tariff was raised to 25%. After negotiations in Turnberry, the US dropped its tariff to 15% in exchange for the EU promising to reduce its auto tariffs to zero. The US implemented its part on August 1, 2025, but Puzder states the EU has yet to reciprocate.

  Quote:

  "We reduced our tariffs on August 1st of last year. That’s nine months ago on autos. And to date, we haven’t seen the EU reduce a single tariff."
  — Andrew Puzder [01:01]

  Memorable moment: Puzder’s frustration at unilateral US compliance, while the EU has “enjoyed the benefits” without living up to its side.

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2. Legislative Delays and EU Amendments ([02:18]–[04:27])

• Puzder criticizes the EU legislative process, blaming parliamentary delays and attempted amendments for stalling the deal's implementation.

• He distinguishes between “threatening” versus “imposing” tariffs, noting the US has followed through only on its concessions.

  Quote:

  "There’s a big difference between threatening to do something and doing it. Since August 1st of last year, tariffs on automobiles have been 15%. Nobody’s changed that."
  — Andrew Puzder [03:49]

• The main US contention: the EU tried to add 4-5 amendments at the last minute, fundamentally changing the agreement, which the US rejects.

  Quote:

  "We have a deal. And as many in the EU—this isn’t just the United States saying this—many people in the European Union have been saying, ‘a deal is a deal’...so let’s get it approved."
  — Andrew Puzder [03:57]

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3. Conversations, Negotiations, and Prospects for Agreement ([04:27]–[07:42])

• Puzder highlights internal EU division—some officials support the US stance; others oppose.

• He is optimistic about ultimate approval, emphasizing mutual prosperity and certainty for businesses.

  Quote:

  "We need to get certainty in our trade relationship. Businesses need that, countries need that. That’ll lead to greater prosperity for both the EU and the US..."
  — Andrew Puzder [05:01]

• Recent progress: Memorandum of understanding on critical minerals signed between EU Commissioner Šefčovič and US Secretary Rubio. Hopes for a “Pax Silica” deal to integrate Europe into the AI economy alongside the US.

• Host questions the specifics of the disputed amendments; Puzder says any deviation from the original Turnberry agreement is unacceptable.

  Quote:

  "It’s time for Europe to do what it said it would do and stop with the amendments already."
  — Andrew Puzder [07:25]

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4. Broader Context: The US-led War in Iran & Impact on EU Relations ([07:42]–[11:39])

• The interviewer raises the issue of the US-led war in Iran, EU criticism of US actions, and resulting inflation and energy shocks for Europe.

• Puzder justifies US actions by citing Iranian missile and nuclear threats, insisting the move was a necessary act for world peace, not political gain.

• He challenges European reluctance to cooperate on military logistics, referencing long-standing US defense commitments and warning of the greater danger if Iran had succeeded.

  Quote:

  "You cannot let this crazy theocratic regime get a nuclear weapon. It would be a complete disaster."
  — Andrew Puzder [09:24]

  Quote:

  "Look, this is nothing compared to what would have happened if a long-range ballistic missile carrying a nuclear weapon had headed off towards Rome or Cyprus or Berlin or Tel Aviv."
  — Andrew Puzder [10:33]

• Host points out no evidence of an imminent threat; Puzder responds with historical analogies, referencing 1930s appeasement.

  Quote:

  "In 1935, if we had stopped Adolf Hitler, everybody would have claimed we don’t know what would have happened…But we do have evidence as to what could have happened."
  — Andrew Puzder [11:14]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trade dispute background & timeline: [00:26]–[01:01]
• US perspective on EU legislative delays: [02:18]–[04:27]
• Intricacies of negotiation & internal EU politics: [04:27]–[07:42]
• US-led war in Iran & impact on EU relations: [07:42]–[11:39]

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Notable Quotes (with Attribution & Timestamps)

• "We reduced our tariffs on August 1st of last year. That’s nine months ago on autos. And to date, we haven’t seen the EU reduce a single tariff.” — Andrew Puzder [01:01]
• “There’s a big difference between threatening to do something and doing it…” — Andrew Puzder [03:49]
• “We have a deal. ... ‘a deal is a deal.’ ... so let’s get it approved.” — Andrew Puzder [03:57]
• “We need to get certainty in our trade relationship. ... That’ll lead to greater prosperity for both the EU and the US...” — Andrew Puzder [05:01]
• “It’s time for Europe to do what it said it would do and stop with the amendments already.” — Andrew Puzder [07:25]
• “You cannot let this crazy theocratic regime get a nuclear weapon. It would be a complete disaster.” — Andrew Puzder [09:24]
• “This is nothing compared to what would have happened if a long-range ballistic missile carrying a nuclear weapon had headed off towards Rome or Cyprus or Berlin or Tel Aviv.” — Andrew Puzder [10:33]
• “In 1935, if we had stopped Adolf Hitler, everybody would have claimed we don’t know what would have happened…” — Andrew Puzder [11:14]

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

Puzder is forthright and unapologetic, reflecting the Trump administration’s hardline approach: “a deal is a deal,” reluctance to renegotiate, and readiness to escalate via tariffs if necessary. The overall mood is both combative—especially concerning EU stalling—and somewhat optimistic about eventually reaching a broader, more prosperous US-EU accord.

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Transcript

[Indiana University Narrator]

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[Bloomberg Radio Announcer]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News Trade tensions between

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

the United States and the European Union have resurfaced since President Trump said he would raise the tariffs on EU and trucks to 25%. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU is ready for all scenarios if Washington breaks its trade agreements truck last summer. This all ahead of a meeting of G7 trade ministers happening in Paris this morning. Joining us in our Brussels studio to discuss is the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Andrew Pozder. Good morning Ambassador. Great to have you back with us. Good morning on Bloomberg Radio. Can you explain the root of this problem? President Trump says he wants to increase these levies because the EU isn't complying with the deal. What's the issue?

[Andrew Pozder]

So back In March of 2025, the President took auto tariffs up to 25%. After a bunch of back and forth communications between President von der Leyen and President Trump, we reached an agreement in Turnberry last year where we would reduce our tariffs to 15% and the EU would reduce their tariffs to zero. We reduced our tariffs on August 1st of last year. That's nine months ago on autos. And to date we haven't seen the EU reduce a single tariff. Not only haven't they reduced tariffs, but when the parliament came forward after many delays and voted to approve the deal, they tried to change the deal. They want to add four or five amendments to the deal which completely change it. They want to renegotiate. So the President said, look, after nine months of you enjoying the benefits of this deal and dragging your feet on getting us the benefits, time's up. We're not going to put up with this. You need to get this thing done. You need to get it done the way we agreed to it, the way President von der Leyen and I agreed to it. And if you can't get it done, then we're going to take tariffs back up and we're going to take the tariff up on autos. Now, it hasn't happened yet, but he's notified Europe that it will happen.

[Interviewer]

The European Union would argue that this is the system by which the legislation has to be passed, that it has to go through the legislative process. Was it necessary to threaten tariffs in order to try to push this through?

[Andrew Pozder]

So the two things, one is the Parliament could have approved this a long time ago. This is something that was delayed. They delayed the vote, they delayed the committee votes. It was stalled for a long time. And when they finally pass it, they want to amend the deal. So when you're saying it's our legislative process. Well, if the legislative process was to drag your feet, continue hearings, continue votes, not have them, and then change the deal once you do have a vote, then I would say that that's not really a very fair legislative process.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

They did also delay it because there were also fresh threats of tariffs coming from the United States as well, which was one of the key delays. But the last time that we spoke, you were on your way to the plenary session in Strasbourg to talk to MEPs about their concerns. Did that not come to the right resolution? Is that why we're in the situation we're in now?

[Andrew Pozder]

I think Bert Lange did a great job getting this bill through the Parliament. I think there were a lot of people opposed to the deal, and he had to make some concessions to get it approved in Parliament. I think Chairman Weber has done a great job with the epp. I think there are people who are sincerely interested in getting this deal approved, but it did get delayed continuously. The United States has not increased tariffs. That's just not true. We have not increased tariffs.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

We're threatened to on several occasions.

[Andrew Pozder]

Well, it's a big difference between threatening to do something and doing it. Since the day that we. Since August 1st of last year, tariffs on automobiles have been 15%. Nobody's changed that. And when it did get, when they do finally get it through the Parliament, I think everybody realizes that they want to renegotiate the deal. Quite honestly, on the United States side, there's no interest in renegotiating the deal. We have a deal. And as many in the eu, this isn't just the United States saying this, but many people in the European Union have been saying, a deal is a deal. We need to approve this. Well, we agree a deal is a deal. We need to approve this. So let's get it approved.

[Interviewer]

What conversations have you been having this week then? And what conversations are you having now with the eu? Do you think that this, you know, as you say, time's up. Do you think that that message is getting across? Do you think that that is going to speed things up?

[Andrew Pozder]

Well, I think rather than talking about conversations I have with various EU officials, some of who are favorably disposed towards our position, some of whom are aggressively not favorably dispose our position, I think if you look at the Public statements. You can see that there are, there are divisions within the EU as to whether there's support for doing this deal or opposition to it. But I believe that there is more support than there is opposition. So I believe we're going to get this deal done. Look, this deal is part of really getting the new EU US relationship where it needs to be. We need to get certainty in our trade relationship. Businesses need that, countries need that. That'll lead to greater prosperity for both the EU and the US and it actually says that in the, in the framework trade agreement. We've got the critical minerals deal, which we now have a memorandum of understanding on that Commissioner Shefkovich and Secretary Rubio signed. I think it was last week or the week before. We're trying to get Europe on board, and I think we will come to a Pax silica agreement with the EU which will help bring the EU more aggressively into the AI economy, along with as a partner with the United States. So these are all efforts to try and bring the two economies together. And I think we'll both be more prosperous if we can approve these agreements. And I hope, and I think we will approve them. It's just going through this process is not easy and I think both sides are doing the best it can. But nine months of you got a deal, we got nothing isn't going to work.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

Where do you see the. I suppose the zone for negotiations now then, what are the things. Because I mean, the clauses that the European Parliament added, including, you know, that it would only. The deal would only come into force when the US Held a bit side of the bargain. So I'm sure you agree with that. If you're talking about a deal being a deal.

[Andrew Pozder]

We've been holding up our side of the bargain since last fall, so that's not an issue.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

The other key condition was putting.

[Andrew Pozder]

We should be making that condition, I mean, but that I guess really we are. You don't have a deal until both people comply. A deal isn't you do what you promise and we'll do ours later. A deal is you do what you promise. We'll do what we promise. Well, okay. We're waiting.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

Sure. But I'm trying to identify, I suppose, what is it exactly that was in the European Parliament changes. That is now an issue, given that you've been talking to the European Parliament about this.

[Andrew Pozder]

Well, the things that are an issue are the things that weren't in the deal that was agreed to at Turnberry and that really great people on the EU side, big advocates for The European Union. Bjorn Siebert, Moro Shefkovich negotiated this against people from the US who are the same. Jamison Greer, our ambassador, and Howard Lutnick, our Secretary of commerce. These four individuals, with help from others, put what Trump and von der Leyen agreed to in writing. And we did what we said we would do. It's time for Europe to do what it said it would do and stop with the amendments already.

[Interviewer]

Okay, I suppose. In the meantime, though, what has happened is the US Led war in Iran and many European countries have been critical of that war also. What sort of conversations have you been having with counterparts and what have those conversations been like since the start of the war, given the economic, the inflationary, the growth impact that that is having now on European countries?

[Andrew Pozder]

So my conversations with the people in the eu, the ones who need a conversation, I think some people understood this without me having to say it, but President Trump, Secretary Rubio has been very clear, and President Trump has as well, that the United States believes that Iran was building up a significant resource or reserves of missiles, including long range missiles, drones, so that if anybody tried to stop their nuclear weapons program with which they were proceeding, if anybody tried to stop it, they would disrupt the world economy by attacking their neighbors in the Middle east, by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz and doing whatever they could to prevent the world from restricting their ability to get a nuclear weapon. Now, President Trump, once he had that knowledge, could have done what other presidents and other leaders in other countries have done, which is kick the ball down the road and, or kick the can down the road and say, you know, let the next guy deal with this. Because there was no political benefit to President Trump doing what he did. The Democrats aren't going to support him no matter what he does. So that wasn't going to help. But his own party wasn't completely supportive of the president taking this move. And with elections coming up in November, there was no political benefit. So, you know, if he did this, he had a very sincere belief that this was absolutely the right thing to do, not only for the United States, but for world peace. You cannot let it, this crazy theocratic regime, get a nuclear weapon. It would be a complete disaster.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

So there are consequences of this as well, with energy prices that much higher. And so, you know, this is something that obviously European countries are feeling very keenly. I'm wondering, do you have a sense that relations with some of those countries in the EU are irreparably damaged? Can there be an improvement?

[Andrew Pozder]

No, I don't think relations are irreparably damaged. I think the, to get back to what I'm talking to people in the EU about, once you understand why President Trump did this and the importance of his doing it and really the decision being that this was absolutely what was the right thing to do. When you find countries where we've spent really billions if not trillions of dollars defending. We've had military bases in place even since the fall of the Soviet Union where we really didn't need to have those bases. We've continued to spend American taxpayer dollars on defense. Europe, you know, we went in the past 120 years, we've been to Europe twice to free it from aggressive, militaristic people. And you know, and then we can't, we can't use our bases, we can't fly over countries to do what President Trump believed was the right thing to do in, with respect to Iran and I think was unquestionably the right thing to do. It is, it will, it is having an effect on prices. But look, this is nothing compared to what would have happened if a long range ballistic missile carrying a nuclear weapon had headed off towards Rome or Cyprus or Berlin or Tel Aviv.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

As far as we know, there was no indications that that was imminent either.

[Andrew Pozder]

Well, we know they had the ballistic missiles. We know they've been threatening to do it. We know they sent a missile. We know they attacked Cyprus. Yeah, so, I mean, so there are a lot of things we do know. You can't, you know, we don't. But in 1935, if we had stopped Adolf Hitler, everybody would have claimed we don't know what would have happened if we, if we hadn't stopped him. Well, the same thing here. We don't know what would have happened. You'll never know what would have happened. Okay, but we do, we do have evidence as to what could have happened.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

All right, good to have you with you, Ambassador. Thank you very much for being.

[Andrew Pozder]

My pleasure.

[Bloomberg Radio Host]

Studio. Andrew poster there. U.S. ambassador to the European Union joining us in the Brussels radio studio.

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