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Brussels wants to increase the purchase of American products by 50 billion euros to resolve the “problem” in the commercial relationship, said the first EU negotiator, adding that the block makes “certain progress” to the conclusion of an agreement.
But Maroš Šefčovič, the EU trade commissioner, suggested in an interview with the Financial Times that the block would not accept Washington while keeping in place 10% tariffs on its goods as a fair resolution of commercial talks.
Steep prices must be imposed on the Ue And several countries in early July, leaving block races to avoid a full -fledged transatlantic trade war.
The United States and the EU had made progress in several cycles of negotiations in person and by phone since President Donald Trump imposed, then took a break, 20% price On the block, said Sefcovic. He added that “his ambition” still had to conclude a “balanced and fair” agreement with the White House.
Šefčovič said that the key argument he had raised to the American representative Jamieson Greer and the trade secretary Howard Litnick took into account the exports of American services to the EU, which would bring the overall trade deficit with Europe to only 50 billion euros.
This could be concluded quickly with offers to buy more American gas and agriculture products, he said.
“If what we consider a problem in the deficit is 50 billion euros, I think we can really … solve this problem very quickly thanks to LNG purchases, through certain agricultural products such as soy or other areas,” said Sefcovic.
“What is very important is that I think we understand each other a little better, what is their position, where do they come from? And I think they understand us a little better,” he added. “I think we have a little more understanding of the figures.”
But he warned that it would be “very difficult” to conclude an agreement which was “clearly good and acceptable for our Member States and our European Parliament”.
On April 2, Trump imposed an additional minimum rate of 10% on almost all countries, while offering additional “reciprocal” tasks for certain business partners, including 20% on the EU. Trump then suspended additional “reciprocal” measures, giving partners 90 days to negotiate.
Sefcovic said the potential combined samples threatened against the EU by Trump were “astronomical figures … We clearly communicated:” It's unfair, it is unfair “.
When asked if he would accept a 10% levy as a soil in commercial talks, Sefcovic said that the EU considered this as a “very high level”, suggesting that the block would not be satisfied with an agreement that maintained prices at this level.
Since the announcement of the rate raft, which has enabled the world's stock markets and has hit the dollar and borrowing costs in the United States, Trump has weakened some of the measures, offering sectors such as the automotive industry.
“I see that there were a few, say, adjustments or corrections,” said Šefčovič. “I am sure that I was not the only one to point out some of the potentially negative consequences.”
The “reciprocal” prices of 20% of Trump against the EU would have been additional to sectoral prices of 25% on steel, aluminum and EU cars, which remain in place.
In exchange for partial stay, the EU has interrupted reprisal rates on 21 billion euros in American goods, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, poultry and clothes until July 14.
The European Commission is negotiating trade measures on behalf of the 27 EU member states. Šefčovič said that all the capitals “wanted us to negotiate” but that we were ready to support new reprisals in the event of a contract.
On Wednesday evening, the Commission informed private the ambassadors of the Member States in the areas in which it could offer incentives in the United States, but also on the preparations for a new potential package of prices against America.
“It will not be easy, but we will work meticulously with each member state of having a robust response, which would have unanimous support,” said Šefčovič.
Commissioner Slovak Veteran, who said he was in constant contact with negotiators from other countries who were also trying to conclude an agreement with Trump, said the EU was also ready to collaborate with the United States to help treat the impact of China export overvoltage as an edulcoating for a trade agreement.
“We believe that we can really really achieve together, in particular the overcapacity of steel and aluminum working together on semiconductors, overcoming dependencies on critical raw materials,” he said.
