The bloc is willing to strike a “zero-for-zero tariffs” agreement for industrial goods, according to Ursula von der Leyen
Brussels is willing to negotiate a new agreement on tariffs with the US, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. The statement comes after US President Donald Trump slapped the bloc with a blanket 20% tariff that will take effect on Wednesday.
“We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods,” von der Leyen told a press conference on Monday. “Europe is always ready for a good deal, so we keep it on the table.”
The offer was reportedly made weeks ago but was only revealed after a meeting of EU trade ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. According to Reuters, it was decided that the bloc would prioritize negotiating with Washington rather than engaging in a trade war.
The bloc has other measures in store if the sides fail to reach an agreement, the EU Commission head said, without elaborating. “We are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests,” she stated, adding that the EU particularly seeks to defend itself “against indirect effects through trade diversion.”
Her words were echoed by the EU commissioner on trade and economic security, Maros Sefcovic, who stated on X that the bloc was “fully ready to negotiate whenever our US partners are” but is continuing its work on countermeasures as well.
The Trump administration previously introduced 25% import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum. The American president justified the policy by saying it was targeting nations that themselves impose high barriers for US goods.
Last week, the US implemented a levy on imports, ranging from 10% to 50%, on more than 200 countries it perceives as engaging in unfair trade practices.
On Monday, the US president stated on social media that the tariffs were working and were supposedly yielding significant economic benefits for the US. Later in the day, Trump accused the EU of treating the US “badly,” adding that Brussels is willing to get rid of the tariffs now. The president stated that the concessions offered by the bloc were not enough.
“It’s not only tariffs, it’s not monetary tariffs,” Trump said. The EU authorities “come up with rules and regulations that are just designed for one reason that you cannot sell your products in those countries and we’re not going to let that happen,” he stated.
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