President Donald Trump is losing patience with the European Union. On Thursday, he warned that if the bloc doesn't ratify its trade agreement with Washington by July 4, tariffs will jump to "much higher levels." The message was delivered via Truth Social after what Trump described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels," Trump wrote. The July 4 deadline is symbolic—it marks 250 years since the American colonies declared independence from Britain—but the threat is real.

The trade deal was struck last July and set tariffs on most European goods at 15%. Both sides have publicly signaled progress, but implementation has been slow. Von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone on X, saying the two leaders discussed Middle East tensions and agreed that Iran "must never possess a nuclear weapon." She also said both sides remained committed to implementing the pact. "Good progress is being made towards tariff reduction by early July," she wrote.

Trump, however, is not satisfied. He said the EU failed to uphold commitments made under the "historic" trade agreement negotiated in Turnberry, Scotland, including a pledge to cut tariffs on U.S. industrial goods to zero and provide duty-free quotas on certain American farm and sea produce. "I've been waiting patiently for the EU to fulfill their side of the Historic Trade Deal," he wrote.

This isn't the first time Trump has turned up the heat. Last week, he vowed to raise tariffs on European cars and trucks to 25%. The pressure is mounting as the July 4 deadline approaches.

Why the Delay?

The agreement still needs approval from all 27 EU member states before it can take effect. That's a lot of moving parts. And the legal landscape has gotten more complicated. In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing a broad range of tariffs. However, sector-specific duties, including those on automobiles, were unaffected.

Following that ruling, the Trump administration imposed a temporary 10% tariff while pursuing alternative legal pathways for its wider trade agenda. But on Thursday, a U.S. trade court ruled that these temporary global duties are unjustified under a 1970s trade law. That adds another wrinkle to an already tangled situation.

EU officials continue negotiations with member states and lawmakers, with talks expected to continue later this month. Whether they can get the deal ratified by July 4 remains to be seen. But Trump has made it clear: he's done waiting.