(Reuters) The European Commerce Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said that Brussels wanted to increase the purchases of goods from the United States by 50 billion euros (56.46 billion dollars) to resolve a “problem” in the commercial relationship, adding that the block makes “certain progress” towards the conclusion of an agreement, the financial time reported on Thursday.
Sefcovic in an interview with the newspaper suggested that the block would not accept Washington while keeping in place 10% prices on its goods as a fair resolution for commercial discussions.
The United States has imposed 25% tariffs on EU cars, steel and aluminum in March and 20% prices on other EU products in April. He then half reduced the rate of 20% until July 8, fixing a 90 -day window for discussions to reach a more complete price agreement.
In response, the EU at 27 nations suspended its own plans to impose reprisal prices on certain American goods and proposed zero tasks for all industrial goods on both sides.
“If what we consider as a problem in the deficit is 50 billion euros, I think we can really … solve this problem very quickly thanks to LNG purchases, thanks to certain agricultural products such as soybeans or in other areas,” said Sefcovic, according to the FT report.
However, Sefcovic warned that it would be “very difficult” to conclude an agreement “clearly good and acceptable to our Member States and our European Parliament”.
The European Commission negotiates commercial measures on behalf of the EU member states.
The EU was also willing to collaborate with the United States to help fight against the impact of China export overvoltage as an edulor for a trade agreement, added the head of commerce.
(1 $ = 0.8857 euros)
(Report by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru, edition by Deepa Babington)
