“One hand cannot clap,” says Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
BRUSSELS — Although the European Union’s “doors are open”, the United States “does not seem to be engaging to make a deal” to avoid a tariff war ahead of the imminent reimposition of U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said on Monday.
When Šefčovič visited Washington last month, he spoke to President Donald Trump’s trade team.
“We jointly identified the few areas that would allow us to move forward by fostering a mutual benefit. But in the end, one hand cannot clap,” Šefčovič told reporters in Brussels.
The U.S. is due to impose tariffs of 25 percent on its global steel and aluminum imports by this Wednesday. This would reactivate, and escalate, a dispute dating back to Trump’s first term. The EU has made clear it is ready to hit back with retaliatory measures.
Šefčovič, who was announcing a new digital trade deal with Korea, also stressed that “the EU would protect its businesses, workers and consumers. I think we’ve been very clear about it and I know they expect no less from us.”
The trade boss also highlighted that “[the] interest is indeed huge” from other trading partners to work more closely with the EU, name-checking talks with Thailand, India and the United Arab Emirates.