Just an hour has taken the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in responding to the response, although not to warn of hard consequences if the threat launched from Washington materializes: “Impose 30% tariff Atlantic, ”he said in his first response, in which he declares himself willing to negotiate until August 1.
Von der Leyen is still attached to the script that was marked when Trump opened the commercial war: negotiating until the exhaustion while preparing an answer in case there is no pact. Both ideas are present in their statement, but the emphasis given to these ideas has changed. “We will take all the necessary measures to safeguard the interests of the EU, including the adoption of countermeasures provided if necessary,” says the German.
A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic.
We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1.
At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures.
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen)
The US administration had notified the commission before Trump, according to sources from the Union Executive itself. In fact, the letter is dated Friday, July 11 although it has been released this Saturday.
It highlights a group that appears in the response of von der Leyen that has rarely appeared in other communications, “the patients.” The reference is a wink to the pharmaceutical sector and countries such as Ireland, which export to the United States a significant amount of medicines. On that sector, in addition, Washington has opened an investigation and Trump has noted that it considers imposing tariffs of 200%.
Von der Leyen’s response has even a paragraph that seeks to disassemble the arguments Trump uses in his letter. He talks that the EU is a closed market. The president of the Commission points out that “few economies in the world equal the level of openness and accession to fair practices of trade [internacional]”Of the Union.” Consequently, the EU has prioritized a negotiation with the United States, reflecting our involvement with dialogue, stability and a constructive transatlantic association. ”
As the weeks have passed the stage was getting dark on Brussels. On Monday, after the telephone conversation that Trump and von der Leyen maintained last Sunday afternoon, he was confident in an agreement “in days”, even the letter was not expected. But as the calendar leaves have been falling the liturgy announced by the US President has been imposed and the letter with 30% tariffs for imports has arrived.
Now the focus, at least in regard to the transatlantic commercial relationship, moves to the meeting of trade ministers next Monday. It will have to discuss both the content of the letter and the possible answers. The first thing to decide is what happens with the turns that have been suspended since April, when a package of additional tariffs to imported products from the United States was applied worth about 20,000 million. That package froze for three months to give a chance to dialogue and suspension expires this July 15.
Another aspect that is pending in European counterplices is what to do with the response for the falsely called reciprocal tariffs. The Commission raised a list of US imports to sanction for about 91,000 million. After the public consultation, with allegations of states and companies, that amount has been reduced, but it would be ready, although Brussels has not published the final measure.
Meloni asks to avoid commercial shock
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has opted to continue negotiating to achieve a commercial agreement with the United States and avoid a commercial shock. After knowing the imposition of the tariffs of 30% to the products of the European Union, the president has made public in which he affirms that “the Italian government follows with great attention the development of the ongoing negotiations between the EU and the United States” and that it supports “fully the efforts of the European Commission, which will intensify in the next few days”.
“In the current context there would be no sense to trigger a commercial shock between the two banks of the Atlantic,” says the statement. “Now it is essential to remain concentrated in the negotiation, avoiding the polarizations that would complicate the achievement of an agreement,” he adds.
