The leaders are calling for ‘lowest possible’ border taxes, according to reports in The Guardian.
Initially set for 1 June, President Trump announced the tariff delay after what he described as a “very nice call” with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the weekend.
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“They agreed both to fast-track the negotiations and stay in close contact,” stated Paula Pinho, a spokesperson for the European Commission, during a press briefing.
President Trump had previously voiced his discontent with the pace of discussions with EU officials in a social media post last Friday. He criticised the European project as being established primarily to exploit the US in terms of trade and indicated that progress in talks was lacking.
“These negotiations are complex, and so they are taking time. There’s now also a new impetus for the negotiations and we will take it from there,” Pinho stated.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hope that both Washington and Brussels could achieve the lowest tariffs feasible.
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By GlobalDataSpeaking to reporters during a trip to Vietnam, Macron was quoted by the publication as saying: “There has been a good exchange between President Trump and President Von der Leyen and I hope we can continue on this road and return to the lowest possible tariffs that will allow for fruitful exchanges.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also reportedly working to arrange a meeting between President Trump and European leaders in early June, according to local media sources.
Ireland Foreign Minister Simon Harris stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement beneficial for both US and EU economies. He emphasised the significance of high-level political engagement in advancing negotiations, stating “this is our priority. We want to see meaningful and substantive talks.”
The European Commission confirmed on Monday (26 May) that its proposal for a “zero-for-zero” elimination of tariffs on automobiles and industrial goods in transatlantic trade remains available. Trade spokesperson Olof Gill commented that this proposal serves as an excellent basis for negotiations that could yield mutual benefits across the Atlantic.
The commission refrained from discussing specifics regarding the dialogue between President Trump and President von der Leyen.
The tax on EU goods entering the US was initially set for 20% on 2 April, but was later reduced to 10% to facilitate further discussions.
However, by Friday, Trump increased the tariff rate to 50%, and moved up the implementation date to 1 June and then later agreed to delay it to 9 July.
The European Apparel and Textile Confederation (Euratex) told Just Style it had nothing further to add to its position following Just Style’s request for comment.
In March this year, EU started a consultation on counter tariffs to the US, which included textiles, following the US’ 25% duty on steel and aluminium imports.
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