EACA CEO Charley Stoney Expects A Focus On Local Markets Amid 15% EU Tariffs

The chief executive officer of the trade organisation European Association of Communication Agencies (EACA), Charley Stoney, expects companies to focus on local European markets in their marketing as a result of the 15% tariffs the US imposed on the EU.

As of today, the European Commission has published the terms of the tariff agreement between the EU and US. The backbone of the statement remains the same as the agreement with US president Donald Trump and the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen earlier this month in Scotland.

The US will apply 15% on the majority of exports from the EU, while the EU “intends to eliminate tariffs on all US industrial goods and to provide preferential market access for a wide range of US seafood and agricultural goods”.

EACA CEO Charley says that “localisation is coming back” to the EU “full swing”. Due to the political climate, “global initiatives are not seen as popular”, she highlights. “In the EU, there was already a move towards buying local.”

She also says that marketers will have to “be more strategic in their outlook, because they will have to defend their position within their own country.”

The CEO expects European marketers to struggle marketing their brands into the US, “particularly if they're going to be premium priced”.

Charley thinks the European marketing industry will have to either focus on national campaigns or position brands in specific ways for the EU region.

“You could go local, so French, focusing on France, or you could play the European card. So, pan-European campaigns could have a place where they haven't really had in the past. There are very few campaigns which play into the European way of life.”

The CEO says she is “looking forward to seeing developments over the next few months, and giving people the opportunity to look at things in a different way”.

EU-US trade in goods and services has doubled over the last decade, surpassing €1.6 trillion in 2024, with €867 billion of trade in goods and €817 billion of trade in services. That is over €4.2 billion of goods and services crossing the Atlantic every day, according to the European Commission.

The EU has also agreed to boost its investment in the US by $600bn (£446bn), including American military equipment, and spend $750bn on energy.

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