The European Union’s trade chief has said the 27-member bloc is committed to securing a trade deal with the United States based on “respect,” not “threats.”
This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on all goods shipped to the U.S. from the EU.
“The EU is fully committed to securing a deal that works for both sides,” said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic following a phone call with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, BBC reports.
“EU-U.S. trade is unmatched and must be governed by mutual respect, not threats. We are ready to defend our interests,” Sefcovic added.
Earlier on Friday, Trump voiced frustration with the pace of ongoing EU-U.S. trade negotiations, stating that his plan to raise tariffs on June 1 was already set.
Posting on his platform “Truth Social,” Trump said: “Our discussions with them (the EU) are going nowhere,” adding that there would be no tariffs for products built or manufactured in the United States.
“I’m not looking for a deal – we already have a deal,” he later told reporters, before immediately adding that a major investment in the U.S. by a European company could make him open to a delay.
The EU is one of Washington’s largest trading partners, having sent over $600 billion (€528 billion) worth of goods last year while purchasing $370 billion, according to U.S. government figures.
