To avoid Trump tariffs, the EU wants early US discussions

Trade head Maros Sefcovic stated Tuesday that the European Union wanted to move quickly to negotiate with the United States over President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, while his boss Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the union will defend its interests in talks.

Before a gathering of EU ministers to discuss trade and EU competitiveness, Sefcovic stated that he desired “early engagement” and was expecting confirmation that financier Howard Lutnick, Trump’s choice for Commerce Secretary, would be appointed.

“We are ready to engage immediately, and we hope that through this early engagement, we can avoid the measures which would bring a lot of disturbance to the most important trade and investment relationship on this planet,” he said to reporters.

The head of the European Commission, von der Leyen, stated that the top priority of the EU executive was to focus on the several areas where the interests of the US and the EU overlap, including developing technology and vital supply chains.

She said the EU was prepared for difficult talks to resolve differences and lay the groundwork for a closer alliance during a speech in Brussels.

“We will approach that with transparency and pragmatism. However, we will also make it plain that we will always defend our own interests, no matter what or when it is necessary,” Von der Leyen stated.

According to EU officials, there have been few interactions with the Trump administration thus far. They point out that Trump’s nominees for high posts cannot communicate with their international counterparts until their positions are approved. Trump and von der Leyen have not communicated since Trump took office.

Just hours after the United States imposed extra 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, which prompted China to retaliate, the EU conference in Warsaw began. Mexico and Canada also faced 25% U.S. duties on Tuesday, but each were granted a 30-day reprieve.

According to Trump, the European Union will follow. The U.S. trade deficit with the 27-nation EU has been a frequent source of his complaints.

According to Sefcovic, the imbalance, which includes trade in services, was around 50 billion euros, or 3% of the 1.5 trillion euros in annual EU-US trade. Additionally, 4 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic depended on this open economic relationship.

“We believe through constructive engagement and discussion we can resolve this problem,” he added.

Some ministers gave suggestions on the EU’s strategy, but Sefcovic did not discuss how the group might negotiate.

Xavier Bettel, the foreign minister of Luxembourg and the prime minister during Trump’s first term, stated that the EU must be strong and unified and not start talks with compromises.

“This is not the Marrakech souk,” he commented. “We do not provide. We talk, we listen, and we share. We don’t provide.”

Additionally, Irish Trade Minister Peter Burke stated that making proposals at this time was not profitable.