The bloc is willing to strike a “zero-for-zero tariffs” agreement for industrial goods, the EU Commission head has said.
Brussels is willing to negotiate a new agreement on tariffs with the US, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. The statement comes after US President Donald Trump slapped the bloc with a blanket 20% tariff that will take effect on Wednesday.
“We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods,” von der Leyen told a press conference on Monday. “Europe is always ready for a good deal, so we keep it on the table.”
The offer followed a meeting of EU trade ministers in Luxembourg. According to Reuters, it was decided that the bloc would prioritize negotiating with Washington rather than engaging in a trade war.
The bloc has other measures in store if the sides fail to reach an agreement, the EU Commission head said, without elaborating. “We are also prepared to respond through countermeasures and defend our interests,” she stated, adding that the EU particularly seeks to defend itself “against indirect effects through trade diversion.”
Her words were echoed by the EU commissioner on trade and economic security, Maros Sefcovic, who stated on X that the bloc was “fully ready to negotiate whenever our US partners are” but is continuing its work on countermeasures as well.
The Trump administration previously introduced 25% import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum. The American president justified the policy by saying it was targeting nations that themselves impose high barriers for US goods.
Last week, the US implemented a levy on imports, ranging from 10% to 50%, on more than 200 countries it perceives as engaging in unfair trade practices.
On Monday, the US president stated on social media that the tariffs were working and were supposedly yielding significant economic benefits for the US. Later in the day, Trump accused the EU of treating the US “badly,” adding that Brussels is willing to get rid of the tariffs now. The president stated that the concessions offered by the bloc were not enough.
“It’s not only tariffs, it’s not monetary tariffs,” Trump said. The EU authorities “come up with rules and regulations that are just designed for one reason that you cannot sell your products in those countries and we’re not going to let that happen,” he stated.
Trumps plan is to replace direct taxation – income tax
With indirect taxation – tariffs
Which the US had before the Federal Reserve IRS and ADL were created in 1913 to fund WW1
A “zero-for-zero tariffs” agreement would not fit into Trumps plan
EU president Ursula von der Leyen is unelected and against the vast majority of citizens of the EU. Almost everyone thinks of her as the most evil nasty bitch the world has ever seen. Why is she still there? Because the unelected can not be voted out.
These actors calling themselves leaders are not in the least bit legitimate.
The EU and UN may think they hold the power over billions of people. Let them push a little further and see just how that might turn out.
The foundations of the western nations is the right of freedom, safety, proper governance and justice. All four of these have been eroded to a critical level.
Fluoride in our water is not safe.
Special soft courts for police is not justice.
Injections have been proven not safe.
The EU and UN is not proper governance.
Locking up people like Barry Young, Tommy Robinson, Le Pen is not justice.
The super wealthy imposing their requirements on our leaders is not proper governance. Quite sure our own politicians would be happier when that crap ends.
Zero for zero would just allow US manufacturers to keep doing outsourcing. Tariffs ensure that (a) taxation on US citizens can be reduced and (b) manufacturing comes back to the US.
China gets a lot of manufacturing because greedy US companies (and others) can make more profit for their shareholders. Also, if you manufacture in China the following may happen:
(1) The Chinese company makes more of your product, say 10 or 20 percent, and then sells it domestically under their own label. I know that Apple and others have strict contracts against this, but other companies have been stung.
(2) The Chinese company reverse engineers your product (they can already manufacture it) and then they copy it and then sell it as theirs. The Chinese do not respect IP or copyright laws.
As if the USA bothered with the ” law” !!!
https://x.com/IpIndependent/status/1909561898477007022
Not in your dream !!!