Donald Trump’s threatened 30% tariffs on European goods would eliminate transatlantic trade, the EU’s chief negotiator with the US has said, while voicing hope that a deal remained possible. Maroš Šefčovič, the EU trade commissioner, said a tariff of 30% or more would have a huge impact, making it “almost impossible to continue” current transatlantic trade, which is worth €4.4bn (£3.8bn) a day. Before Trump’s blunt announcement on social media, EU negotiators thought they were closing in on an agreement in principle, an outline deal that would set tariffs at 10%. Šefčovič, who is due to speak to US counterparts later on Monday, said he had been notified about Trump’s Truth Social letter “very shortly before” it was published. Trump has accused Canada and Mexico of not doing enough to combat flows of the opioid into the US, although the issue is not known to have been a feature of EU-US trade talks.