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Donald Trump and European Chief Executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday defused the crisis created by US tariffs, announcing a series of decisions in agriculture, industry and energy the exact scope of which remains to be confirmed
According to a European source, no new customs tariff will be imposed on imports of European cars into the United States, a particularly sensitive issue for Germany.
Speaking of a "big day" for free trade, the US president has evoked, from the gardens of the White House, a "new phase" in relations between Washington and Brussels after months of warnings and threats from both sides of the Atlantic.
Pointing out their common desire to eventually move towards the total elimination of tariffs in their industrial exchanges, with the exception of the automobile sector, he badured that the European Union would begin "almost immediately" to buy "a lot of soybeans" from American producers. He also promised to revisit the issue of US tariffs on steel and aluminum European, which had ignited the powder ..
– "A breakthrough" –
The German Minister of Economy Peter Altmaier immediately hailed on Twitter this "breakthrough" that "can avert a trade war and save millions of jobs."
"The global economy benefits when countries engage constructively to resolve their trade disagreements without resorting to exceptional measures ", for its part reacted Christine Lagarde, Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who warned for months against protectionism, which can derail global growth. [19659002] "We reached an agreement today," badured Juncker, who stressed the EU's intention to increase its imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States to d e diversify its energy supplies.
Earlier, at the beginning of the tête-à-tête in the Oval Office, he insisted that the United States and the EU, which account for half of the trade worldwide, were "close partners", "allies", not "enemies."
In the evening, Mr. Trump posted on Twitter a photo of the two men kissing, baduring that "obviously" , the EU and the United States "love each other".
Qualified in the past by the American president as "very intelligent" but also "very hard", the European leader spoke Wednesday "a strengthening of cooperation on energy."
A few hours earlier From Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart that no one would come out "victorious" in a trade war.
Proof of turmoil related to the tug of war by the US president: his administration announced Tuesday a $ 12 billion emergency aid for farmers affected by retaliation against customs tariffs decreed by Washington against China, the European Union or Canada.
Reforming the WTO –
The Republican billionaire has also announced that the United States and the European Union will work together to reform the World Trade Organization. (WTO), referring in particular to China in the spotlight, the theft of intellectual property and the forced transfer of technology
"We will work closely together with partners sharing our ideas to reform the WTO and tackle the problem of unfair commercial practices, including the theft of intellectual property, the forced transfer of technology, industrial subsidies, distortions created by state-owned enterprises and overcapacity ", said the US President.
The eve of the meeting, the tenant of the White House had once again denounced the attitude of Europe to which he has reserved for several months his sharpest arrows.
Rejoicing, in the tone provocatively provocative likes, the countries covered by tariffs "all come to Washington to negotiate", Donald Trump insists that his strategy will not bear fruit and that "the end result will be worthwhile."
But the approach is far from unanimous in the Republican camp, traditionally favorable to free trade.
"I do not think that tariffs the right answer, "Republican House Leader Paul Ryan said on Tuesday.
The latter is from Wisconsin, home of Harley-Davidson headquarters. The famous motorcycle builder has warned that the trade war between the United States and its partners will trim its margins in 2018.
Like him, many elected officials of the "Grand Old Party" are worried about the possible impact of the presidential crusade on the mid-term elections scheduled for November
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