A delegation of senior experts from the European Commission, led by trade department chief Sabine Weyand, is in Washington today and tomorrow to meet with US counterparts, as confirmed by the EU executive on Tuesday.
The purpose of this visit is to advance negotiations following the US's imposition of a series of tariffs against the EU in mid-March. This included a 25% levy on imports of steel, aluminum, and cars, as well as a 10% blanket tariff on all EU imports. A proposed 20% blanket tariff on goods has been suspended for 90 days pending the outcomes of these negotiations.
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič acknowledged the challenges of the ongoing negotiations during a discussion with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Tuesday. He indicated that the EU had proposed a zero-for-zero tariff agreement concerning cars and industrial goods. “We are not weak, under undue pressure, to accept a deal which is unfair to us,” Šefčovič stated during the session.
Šefčovič has traveled to the US three times since trade tensions began. He reported having “personally” discussed collaboration with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, highlighting that the US and the EU could be “stronger together” by addressing dependencies on critical raw materials, medicines, and overcapacities in steel.
Both the EU and the US have identified overcapacities as a mutual concern, particularly in relation to China. Commission spokesperson Olof Gill emphasized that the collaboration is not about forming a coalition against China but rather about addressing a shared problem.
The EU, which currently holds a €50 billion trade surplus with the US, is also considering potential increases in imports from the US in areas such as energy, particularly liquid natural gas, and certain agricultural products like soybeans, as mentioned by Gill last Friday.
Following a meeting on Monday between French President Emmanuel Macron and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a French official stated that the objective of the negotiations with the US is to “completely withdraw” the tariffs imposed by the US, including the 10% blanket tariff that has been in effect since April 2. The official added, “This asymmetrical situation must not become the new norm in the relationship between the EU and the US."
