WASHINGTON (Reuters) – European Union trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday that his top priority in trade talks with President Donald Trump’s administration is to avoid a period of economic pain for both sides from unilateral U.S. tariffs and EU countermeasures. Sefcovic, speaking to reporters after meetings on Wednesday with Trump’s top trade officials, […]
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EU trade chief sees US willingness to reduce tariffs, wants to avoid pain
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – European Union trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday that his top priority in trade talks with President Donald Trump’s administration is to avoid a period of economic pain for both sides from unilateral U.S. tariffs and EU countermeasures.
Sefcovic, speaking to reporters after meetings on Wednesday with Trump’s top trade officials, said he saw some willingness on the part of the U.S. side to mutually reduce tariffs.
“Our number one priority is (to) avoid this period of pain, you know? Because usually what happens, we have measures, we have counter measures and then usually, very often, the same people have to sit at the same table and resolve the problem,” Sefcovic said.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, writing by David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)