Senior Trump administration officials have consistently stated that the 10 percent universal baseline tariff currently applied to most of America’s trading partners is their minimum threshold.
EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič met with his U.S. counterpart Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday. (Image: Ronald Wittek/EPA)
Brussels is also considering boosting imports of liquefied gas or collaborating with Washington to address the oversupply of Chinese steel in global markets.
After a call in late May between Trump and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, both sides agreed to expedite their negotiations—a relative easing of tensions in an otherwise strained relationship that risks undermining transatlantic commerce valued at €1.6 trillion annually.
However, Trump increased U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25 percent to 50 percent this week, indicating that Washington is not inclined to relent in its trade conflict.
As senior Commission officials visited Washington this week, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič held discussions with his U.S. counterpart Jamieson Greer in Paris on Wednesday. Šefčovič told reporters that the talks were progressing positively, vowing to “maintain the momentum.”
The Slovak commissioner had a call with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday, emphasizing that both parties are concentrating on “deeper cooperation across several strategic sectors.”
The European Commission declined to comment.
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