European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that negotiating a fully detailed trade agreement with the United States before the 9 July deadline is “impossible”, but that the European Union is aiming for an “agreement in principle” to avert a new round of US tariffs. Speaking in Aarhus, Denmark, she stressed the bloc is ready to sign a deal yet is simultaneously preparing counter-measures, warning that “all instruments are on the table” if talks fail. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is in Washington for meetings with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as negotiators race against the clock. President Donald Trump has threatened to raise duties on all EU imports to 50 percent if no pact is reached; since early April most EU goods face a 10 percent levy, while cars carry 25 percent and steel and aluminium 50 percent. Brussels has drafted retaliatory tariffs on US products worth about €115 billion should the escalation proceed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other EU leaders are urging a swift resolution, arguing that prolonged uncertainty endangers key sectors such as autos, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. With transatlantic trade worth roughly €1.5 trillion a year, economists warn that failure to secure at least a limited accord could dampen growth, push up consumer prices and deepen the bloc’s exposure to global trade tensions.