Impending trade war
Customs dispute with the USA: Leyen dampens expectations of deal
There will be an agreement in the customs dispute between the EU and the USA by Wednesday next week. Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen now says what she thinks is possible.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dampens the expectations of the outcome of the customs talks with the USA. What one is currently targeting is a fundamental cleaning, said the top German politician at a press conference at the start of the Danish EU Council Presidency in Aarhus. With the trading volume that it is about, a detailed agreement is impossible in 90 days.
The Leyen thus alluded to the fact that US President Donald Trump had recently set an approximately three-month negotiation period until July 9. He then wants to have further tariffs come into force on imports from the EU if the EU should not accommodate the United States in trade issues. Trump justifies his customs policy with the fact that he wants to correct alleged trade weights and shift productions to their home country.
EU is open to options
At the current state of negotiations, from the Leyen at the press conference said that an agreement was continued until July 9th. The EU is ready for an agreement, but at the same time also prepared for the possibility that no satisfactory agreement will be achieved. She referred to the planned counter -tariffs in the event of a failure of the talks. “All instruments are on the table,” she emphasized.
According to EU, several talks on the customs dispute in Washington were planned for this Thursday. EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic initially wanted finance minister Scott Bessent and then later Minister of Commerce Howard Lutnick and the US trade officer Jamieson Greer.
According to the German Press Agency from EU circles, a possible deal could include that the United States can basically maintain an already introduced new basic customs. However, special rules for individual industries such as the auto industry as well as the pharmaceutical, chemical and steel and aluminum industry would have to be agreed.
On the import of cars and auto parts, Trump had particularly high extracute in the amount of 25 percent, even 50 percent of steel and aluminum.
dpa
Source: Stern
