On Wednesday 13 June, a source close to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told EUROPE that Juncker is planning on visiting US President Donald Trump in Washington "in the coming weeks" to try and ease the tension on trade issues.
"Following the G7 meeting, President Juncker offered to keep the channels of communication open with the USA including by going to the USA in the near future. The EU remains open to work with President Trump on a common assessment of our trade relations with the aim of solving trade issues in a friendly manner", a Commission spokesperson said at a press conference at midday on Wednesday. "If and when the visit might be taking place is, however, still to be seen", he added.
The G7 summit, held in Charlevoix, Canada, on 8-9 June, highlighted a little further the trade disagreements between the EU and USA (see EUROPE 12038).
Despite the unilateral raising of US customs duties on imports of steel and aluminium from the EU, and with Trump threatening to raise US customs duties on car imports, the EU remains ready to hold discussions with the USA on a "positive agenda" to improve the transatlantic trade environment, European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen stated on 6 May (see EUROPE 12035).
This agenda is based on the four-point plan agreed by the European leaders on 17 May. It involves tariff talks on industrial products including cars, as well as talks on the liberalisation of public procurement, voluntary regulatory cooperation and increased cooperation on energy, along with discussions on reform of the WTO (see EUROPE 12022).
Merkel takes opposite view to Trump on transatlantic trade balance
Taking account of trade in services, the USA shows a large surplus in its total trade with the EU, German's Chancellor Angela Merkel told company chiefs in Berlin on Tuesday 12 June, adding that "(the systems) of calculating international trade were obsolete and should be revised". (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)