WASHINGTON, Jan 10 ― EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem was due to meet with US officials again today as they worked to resolve trade frictions, which resulted in the exchange of billions in tariffs last year.
After the first day of talks yesterday, Malmstroem told reporters the European Union was steadfast in its refusal to include agriculture in negotiations even though Europe had increased purchases of US commodities.
“As demonstrated by recent developments and figures concerning Liquefied Natural Gas and soya beans, we are delivering,” a European Commission spokesman said today in an email.
Malmstroem said the European Commission is developing negotiating mandates for a possible deal with the United States to eliminate tariffs on industrial goods.
European leaders last year were outraged after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Brussels responded by slapping counter-tariffs on more than US$3 billion (RM12.3 billion) in US exports like bourbon, blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
But Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in July called a truce, agreeing that so long as talks continued neither side would impose additional tariffs.
Malmstroem said she expects the US to abide by an agreement to exempt the EU from any new tariffs on autos ― a measure Trump is considering.
Brussels believes this means Europe will be exempted from any tariffs on auto imports, which Trump has threatened since last year, according to Malmstroem.
US, EU and Japanese officials also met Wednesday to discuss proposed reforms to World Trade Organization rules that would address unfair trade practices ― a move widely seen as a common front against China, which Washington accuses of massive state-intervention in markets and theft of intellectual property. ― AFP
