The European Commission said Wednesday that it aims to conclude a trade agreement with the United States before 1 August and “ideally in the coming days,” as negotiators race to avert additional U.S. tariffs on European goods. Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters in Brussels that the bloc has “shown its readiness to reach an agreement in principle” after extensive consultations with EU member states and industry. “Arriving at a deal now depends on the willingness of both sides to find an acceptable outcome,” he said. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order pushing back the tariff deadline to 1 August from 9 July. Washington currently levies a 10 % duty on all EU products and additional 25 % tariffs on European steel, aluminum and vehicles, and the White House has threatened to raise those charges to as much as 50 % if talks stall. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič held talks this week with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as the discussions enter what Brussels described as their “most delicate” phase. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that the union prefers a negotiated solution but “will be firm in defending our interests” if necessary.