The go to comes because the EU weighs imposing retaliatory tariffs on €21.5 billion in U.S. exports to “mirror” the brand new, and broader, metal and aluminum duties imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Late final week, the Fee determined to delay one batch of its tariff response from April 1 to April 13.
That purchased time to barter with Washington and calibrate the EU’s response as Washington finalizes a recent spherical of “reciprocal” tariffs due on April 2 — styled by Trump as “Liberation Day.” The U.S. president indicated final week that he was not open to granting exemptions from these tariffs — with the EU set to be caught among the many worst hit.
Brussels can be attempting to rally some skeptical EU nations, similar to France and Italy, which have lashed out towards the inclusion of wine and alcohol within the lists of products more likely to be caught within the commerce spat.
It’s Šefčovič’s second journey to Washington since Trump took workplace in January. He’ll meet Lutnick, the Commerce secretary, and Commerce Consultant Jamieson Greer on Tuesday. It wasn’t but clear whether or not the EU commerce negotiator would attend some other public engagements in Washington D.C.
The Slovak commissioner is then resulting from fly to Beijing on Thursday and Friday for his first go to to China since being confirmed as EU commerce commissioner late final 12 months.
This story has been up to date.
