European Commission (EC) is preparing a list of proposed restrictions for US companieswhich provides services, including technology giants, if Brussels does not reach a US trade agreement. This was stated on Thursday by European diplomats who did not want to be appointed. TASR informs about this on the basis of AFP report.
US President Donald Trump earlier this month surprised the European Union (EU) with a threat of imposing duties of 30 % despite the months of negotiations. If both sides fail to reach an agreement by August 1, Brussels pointed out that he will have no choice but to proceed to retaliation for Trump’s high dutiesthat harm the economy. The Commission has already elaborated two lists of US goods on which they will focus. In addition, the EC is also working on a list of US services, including financial, to which it could impose restrictions, for example in public procurement, EU diplomats said.
This could also mean the exclusion of certain suppliers, one diplomat said. But he pointed out that The Commission has not submitted any list yet to EU Member States. Any service measures would be a supplement to two sets of retaliation to goods from the US – one, submitted this week of € 72 billion, and the other worth € 21 billion, which was developed in the spring in response to US duties to steel and aluminum.
According to one of the EU diplomats, retaliatory measures could gradually introducefirst to intervene the United States with a smaller, then a larger package of customs duties on the goods before it potentially added services to them. The second diplomat added that Brussels will have no choice but to react “vigorously”.
Most EU Member States want to keep all the options open and supported the commission’s efforts try again to agree on an agreement before taking retaliatory measures. The main negotiator of Brussels Maroš Šefčovič on Wednesday (16 July) flew to Washington for negotiations with his American colleagues. The Commission did not provide details of its meetings.
There are questions about the willingness of Europe to embark on a harmful struggle with Trump if he introduces 30 % duties as he promised. However, France urges Brussels to take a harder attitude And he considered the deployment of his strongest business tool known as a pressure tool if negotiations with the US end to disappointment. Even if Brussels activated this tool, given the EU procedures could take months to take any action.
First, the Commission would have four months to investigate the so -called. The third country accused of harmful trade policy, then Member States would have eight to ten weeks to support any proposal for proceedings. Only then The Commission was green to prepare measures that would enter into force within six months.
