US, EU strike trade deal following 'tough negotiations'

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The US and the EU on Sunday reached a trade deal, ending months-long uncertainty, President Donald Trump announced following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland.

"I think it's great that we made a deal today, instead of playing games," Trump told reporters, along with von der Leyen, following talks at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.

The US president said he thinks the deal is going to be "great" for both parties, which sets the US rate at 15% on EU goods.

"It's going to bring us closer together... it's a partnership in a sense," added Trump.

Earlier, Washington had threatened a tariff rate of 30%.

For her part, the European Commission president also praised the deal, saying it is a "huge deal."

"We have a deal; we have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world, and it's a big deal," she noted, which comes following "tough negotiation."

The agreement also includes promises from the EU for billions of dollars in investment and energy purchases.