On Friday, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, will engage in discussions with representatives from the US administration about trade issues, particularly in light of Washington’s threats to impose tariffs on wines and other spirits from EU nations.
In the afternoon, Sefcovic is scheduled to hold phone conversations with prominent US officials, including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
President Donald Trump issued a warning on Thursday that he might impose a staggering 200-percent tariff on wines and other spirits from the EU unless the European Union retracts its recently announced tariffs on American whiskey. These retaliatory tariffs were introduced in response to the existing 25-percent tariffs levied by the US on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, among others.
Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission, expressed regret on Friday in Brussels regarding the escalating tensions and confirmed that Sefcovic’s talks with US officials will revolve around these tariff threats.
“We do not believe this approach will benefit anyone. We have made it clear that we urge the United States to promptly lift the existing tariffs and avoid imposing any new ones, as they do not serve the interests of anyone involved—neither consumers nor companies,” he stated.
He further noted that if the US continues down this “harmful, counterproductive, and, in our view, profoundly unfair path,” the EU will take necessary measures to safeguard its consumers, industry, and fair competition.
“We believe the optimal solution is to eliminate these tariffs altogether and focus on rebuilding EU-US trade relations rather than undermining them,” the spokesperson highlighted.
When asked whether the European Commission is contemplating tariffs on services—be they digital or financial—imported from the United States, Gill responded, “We will not speculate on potential future actions.” (14.03.2025)
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