Trade: towards a way out of crisis between the United States and Europe?

Donald Trump and European Chief Executive Jean-Claude Juncker strove on Wednesday to defuse the crisis created by Washington's tariffs, announcing a series of decisions in agriculture, industry and energy however, the exact scope remains to be confirmed. After a meeting of more than two hours, the two leaders spoke together in front of the press from the gardens of the White House.

Speaking of a "big day" for free trade and evoking a "new phase" in relations between the United States and the European Union, the US president has highlighted their common desire to go to term "zero tariffs" in their industrial exchanges, with the exception of the automotive sector . He also badured that the EU would start "almost immediately" to buy "a lot of soybeans" from US producers, and promised to revisit the issue of US tariffs on steel and aluminum, which had put the powder fire. 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, where this key sector employs some 800,000 people.

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"A brutal killer"

"We reached an agreement today," badured Jean-Claude Juncker, who pointed out, at the beginning of the tête-à-tête in the Oval Office, that The United States and the EU, which account for half of world trade, were "close partners", "allies", not "enemies". Qualified by Donald Trump as a "very intelligent" but also "very hard" man, the European leader spoke of "a strengthening of cooperation on energy". A few hours earlier, from Johannesburg, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his American counterpart that nobody would come out "victorious" in a trade war. Proof of turmoil related to the US President's standoff: His administration has just announced $ 12 billion in emergency aid to farmers affected by Washington's tariff retaliation against China, the EU European or Canada.

Known for his outspokenness – and his humor – Jean-Claude Juncker said that Donald Trump had told him, on the occasion of the last G7: "Jean-Claude, you are a brutal killer ". "I think he said that as a compliment but I'm not sure …", he added. As a warning shortly before the meeting, Cecilia Malmström, the EU Trade Commissioner, had mentioned in the Swedish press "a long list of American products" that could be targeted for a total amount of $ 20 billion. [19659007] An approach that is not unanimous

On 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 . "What the European Union is doing to us is amazing (…) They look nice, but they are tough," he said from Kansas City, Missouri, promising to vigorously defend his interests. from America during his meeting with the President of the European Commission. Looking forward, in the willingly provocative tone that he likes, that the countries covered by the tariffs "all come to Washington to negotiate," Donald Trump insists that his strategy will eventually bear fruit and that "the end result will be worth the punishment ".

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But the approach is far from unanimous in the Republican camp, traditionally favorable to free trade. "I do not think tariffs are the right answer," Republican House Leader Paul Ryan said on Tuesday. The latter is from Wisconsin, the state that houses the headquarters of Harley-Davidson. 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. A few hours before his meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker, the American president had denounced these "weak politicians" who want to put an end to the tussle. "What are they imagining, are we just going to keep our farmers ripped off?" "No weakness!", He said.