EU trade chief to meet US counterpart in Paris amid increased tariff tensions

Published connected 02/06/2025 - 19:11 GMT+2•Updated 19:14

EU waste and acquisition Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will meet his US counterpart Ambassador Jamieson Greer connected Wednesday connected nan sidelines of an OECD gathering successful Paris pursuing a high-level gathering of EU and US experts successful Washington connected Tuesday against rising tensions complete US customs duties.

The Commission is hoping to rekindle speech pinch nan US a week aft EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump spoke connected nan phone, contempt Trump’s consequent determination connected 30 May to slap 50% tariffs connected EU alloy and aluminium.

“The EU successful bully religion paused its countermeasures connected 14 April, to create abstraction for continued negotiations, and pursuing nan telephone betwixt president Ursula von der Leyen and president Donald Trump some sides agreed to accelerate nan gait of talks,” Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said connected Monday, acknowledging nevertheless that Trump’s past announcement connected alloy and aluminium undermined nan Commission's “ongoing efforts to scope a negotiated solution pinch nan US”.

The Commission has suspended until 14 July a database of countermeasures targeting US products aft Trump decided connected a 90-Day region successful nan waste and acquisition conflict he launched against his partners crossed nan globe. But nan Commission could determine to move guardant pinch those countermeasures, it said.

A 2nd database of US merchandise is besides unfastened to consultation from manufacture until 10 June, erstwhile EU personnel states will adopt them.

“If nary mutually acceptable solution is reached, some nan existing and nan imaginable further measures will automatically return effect connected 14 July aliases earlier if circumstances require,“ Gill said.

Šefčovič has already travelled to Washington 3 times to meet pinch his US counterparts, but his efforts person truthful acold grounded to break nan deadlock.

The US and nan EU exchanged proposals to statesman negotiations, but both sides person dismissed nan other's offers. It wasn’t until EU and US leaders said by telephone that talks were capable to move forward—until President Trump announced caller tariffs connected alloy and aluminium astatine nan extremity of past week, putting nan negotiations astatine consequence erstwhile again.

The US presently imposes 25% tariffs connected EU alloy and aluminium, 25% connected cars and 10% connected each EU imports. Several investigations successful pharma, semiconductors aliases aircrafts could besides lead to much US tariffs connected EU goods.