In Washington, the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, attempted to lay the foundations for an agreement between the EU and the United States on an alternative to mutual tariffs. The aim was to define the contours of a potential agreement, in other words to look for areas where agreement is possible.
The European Commission did not wish to give any indication of the possible areas of agreement on Tuesday 15 April, but indicated that the EU had repeated its offer to abolish tariffs on industrial products and its willingness to work on the issue of global overcapacity in steel and aluminium.
The EU is doing its part, according to the Commission’s trade spokesperson, Olof Gill. “Now, it is necessary for the US to define its position. As with every negotiation, this must be a two-way engagement, with both sides bringing something to the table”.
For the time being, discussions are continuing at a technical level and no meetings are planned between Maroš Šefčovič and his counterparts, although they remain in contact. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)