US President Donald Trump on Friday announced he would raise tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the European Union to 25%, effective next week. He accused the bloc of failing to comply with the terms of a trade agreement reached last year, without providing specific details.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "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. The Tariff will be increased to 25%."

The trade agreement, struck last year, saw the EU agree to eliminate tariffs on US imports in exchange for a 15% tariff on most EU products. That deal ended months of uncertainty in transatlantic trade relations.

Trump's latest move threatens to reignite trade tensions between the US and the EU. Critics argue that the unilateral tariff hike undermines the spirit of the agreement and could provoke retaliatory measures from Brussels.

This is a developing story. Further updates are expected.

Source: www.dw.com