EU WANTS SWIFT TRADE TALKS WITH US TO AVERT TRUMP TARIFFS – EU officials say contacts with the Trump administration have been limited so far
The European Union wants to engage swiftly with the United States over President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs, trade chief Maros Sefcovic said.
Speaking before a meeting of EU ministers to debate trade and EU competitiveness, Sefcovic said he wanted “early engagement” and was awaiting confirmation of the appointment of Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary, financier Howard Lutnick.
“We are ready to listen, we are ready to engage, to negotiate in our mutual interest. Having said that, the EU would respond firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods,” he told reporters after the meeting.
EU officials say contacts with the Trump administration have been limited so far, noting that Trump’s picks for top jobs are not able to speak to foreign counterparts until their positions have been confirmed.
The European Union Commissioner for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, Stephane Sejourne said the EU would defend its interests, “Europe will evidently defend its interests in this period, that we have prepared tools to defend European interests in that period,” he added.
Trump has said the European Union is next in line. He has repeatedly complained about the U.S. trade deficit with the 27-country EU.
