UNITED STATES PERSPECTIVE

Washington sent a clear signal through US Trade Representative Greer: the EU must comply with the existing trade deal and Trump's China agenda — a signal that Washington uses the European tariff question as leverage in a multi-board game. The 25% threat on European cars arrives as Trump prepares a Beijing visit: Europe pays tariffs, China negotiates.

The real American news at the G7 is not the confrontation with the EU but the near-finalised bilateral deal with India. NDTV reported via a US State Department official that Washington and New Delhi are 'very close' to a trade deal — confirming the Trump administration's strategic preference for bilaterals over multilateral frameworks like the G7.

This bifurcation strategy — punitive tariffs on allies who 'don't play by the rules' versus preferential bilateral deals with coveted partners — is the hallmark of Trump's trade approach. It fragments G7 unity by creating differentiated treatment categories.