The EU declares itself ‘ready’ for an agreement with Washington
The European Union is “ready to conclude an agreement” with the US on tariffs, said the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, ahead of a crucial meeting for negotiations today.
The European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic is traveling to Washington, where he is expected to meet with his American counterparts, aiming to achieve a trade agreement before the deadline of July 9 set by Donald Trump.
In the absence of an agreement by this date, the occupant of the White House could double the customs tariff rate on imports from the EU to 20%, or increase it to 50% as he stated in May.
“We want a solution through negotiation, but you all know that at the same time, we are preparing for the possibility that no satisfactory agreement will be found,” said the President of the Commission during a press conference in Aarhus, Denmark.
“We will defend European interests if necessary (…), all tools are on the table,” she emphasized.
The EU threatened in early May to tax American imports worth 95 billion euros, including cars and aircraft, in the event that trade negotiations with Trump do not bear fruit.
The Commission announced last week that it received an American proposal, which it is evaluating.
“We are aiming for July 9,” said Ursula von der Leyen today from Aarhus. “This is a huge mission, as we have the largest volume of trade transactions in the world between the European Union and the US,” amounting to 1.5 trillion euros, she noted. (3/7/25)
