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Brussels is ready to discuss “anything” to avoid Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on European exports, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said ahead of his visit to Washington next week.
“I’m asking my American partners, why do we have to go through this pain?” Šefčovič told attendees at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. “If there are other issues on the table, let’s sit together, let’s resolve it.”
The Commission’s Slovak stalwart suggested that Brussels is willing to reduce its substantial surplus in goods and services with the US, which reached €50 billion last year and has been repeatedly criticised by Trump.
Šefčovič also signalled that the EU is ready to reduce its 10% tariff rate on cars, which is four times higher than the US rate.
Echoing previous Commission proposals, he also indicated that the bloc could boost purchases of US goods such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and soybeans.
“If the €50 billion is a problem, if the cars are the problem, if the soybeans are the problem, if the LNG is the problem – anything you want to discuss, we are ready to discuss it,” he said.
Šefčovič’s remarks came just hours after EU officials confirmed that the he will travel to Washington on Monday to hold talks with senior Trump administration officials, including Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick, trade representative nominee Jamieson Greer, and National Economic Council chief Kevin Hassett.
Last week, Trump announced 25% duties on all US imports of steel and aluminium as well as “reciprocal tariffs” aimed at matching levies imposed by other countries.
The former tariffs are set to enter into force by March 12, while the latter could be introduced as early as April 2, according to the White House.
Analysts and European industry groups have warned that the duties are likely to exacerbate the bloc’s economic malaise and could lead to US-bound Chinese exports being re-directed and “dumped” on European markets.
Šefčovič’s desperate plea to avoid the tariffs contrasted starkly with the more pugnacious stance taken by Mélanie Joly, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs.
Speaking on the same panel as Šefčovič, Joly argued that only Ottawa’s threat of retaliatory duties on $155 billion worth of US goods persuaded Trump to reverse his pledge to impose a blanket 25% levy on Canadian goods earlier this month.
“What President Trump respects is strength,” she said, adding that Brussels and Ottawa should “work together” to address Trump’s protectionist policies.
“We’re the canary in the coal mine. If the US administration is doing that to Canada, you’re next. And we need to work together on this,” she said.
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