United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, said on Sunday that he is confident that the US will be able to close a trade agreement with the European Union (EU).
“I am confident that we will reach an agreement,” Lutnick said in an interview with CBS’s “Face The Nation” program. He said he had just talked to European trade negotiators in the morning.
On Wednesday (16) the EU Chief of Commerce, Maros Sefcovic, saw Washington to negotiations on tariffssaid an EU spokesman to Reuters, adding that he would meet with Lutnick, and the commercial representative of USAJamieson Greer.
The president of USA, Donald TrumpIt threatened to impose a 30% rate on EU imports from August 1, a level that Europe says it is unacceptable and that would end the normal trade between two of the world’s largest markets.
The European Commission, which supervises trade to the EU, has prepared to apply possible rates on 72 billion euros (US $ 83.63 billion) to US -and -cars – from Washington Trading Bourbon, Boeing Aircraft and whiskey whiskey.
The list, sent to EU members and seen by Reuters on Tuesday (15), preceded Trump’s decision over the weekend to increase the 27 countries’ block and responded instead to US and car parts and a basic tariff of 10%.
The package also covers chemicals, medical devices, electrical and precision equipment, as well as agricultural and food products – a series of fruits and vegetables, as well as wine, beer and distillates – evaluated at 6.35 billion euros.
Trump’s implementation of its tariff policies has overthrown decades of traded reductions in global trade barriers, disturbing international financial markets and threatening a new wave of inflation.
The August 1st period gives countries time to negotiate lower warrings. Some economists also observed Trump’s pattern to retreat in their threats.
(With information from Doina Chiacu)
