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Being a key person in global trade policy today involves a constant journey between the world's great powers for meetings with presidents and prime ministers. But in 2018, this also means that you have to tweak Twitter regularly, so that the global economy is not bothered by the sudden comments of the US president.
When Cecilia Malmström woke up Thursday in Brussels the next day At a meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, she threw herself on the mobile phone to make sure Trump did not decide to break up the promises he made at the meeting.
– At least nobody has tweeted this morning as suggests otherwise, I just checked before speaking. There is, of course, a lot of insecurity, but we also have a lot of cards on our side, says Malmström.
She sees the Washington meeting as a success for the EU. The threat of taxes on cars seems to be avoided and there is therefore a temporary cease-fire in the trade dispute. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker described the meeting as "surprisingly positive", while Trump called it "very, very big day". After Trump called in July the EU as an "enemy" and threatened with 25% tariffs on cars, Malmström and Juncker posed as a kind of traveling police for global trade. They now consider themselves successful in the mission.
– The main goal was to stop the escalation and create a positive call tone and we succeeded. Trump did not say anything about the EU being an enemy, but he said we were allies.
Can we exclude taxes on American cars now?
– The risk is at least significantly lower than yesterday. We also have a lot of cards on our side. I have made several visits to Congress, and no one wants to have these functions. He is also in agreement that if car taxes are introduced, everything else is broken.
What was most surprising with Donald Trump as a person?
Rit Malmström.
– Yes, you. You will probably read that in my memoirs. Since he's been writing some pretty aggressive tweets before negotiations, he was more positive about meeting well.
Juncker and Malmström seem to have understood how to negotiate with Trump. A combination of a good amount of flattering and difficult requests. Mr Juncker first recalled that the United States and the EU are both key players in world trade, which together account for more than half of world trade. This figure seems to impress Trump, while reinforcing his impression that the two countries share common interests. Malmström describes Juncker as very happy after the meeting.
– I think he was happy. He felt we had a positive start. Then we'll see how we follow, "says Malmström
The Trump Agreement is just the beginning of silly negotiations, where many things can still go wrong. It is likely that Malmström will head a working group with Robert Lighthizer, director of US trade relations, where he will outline the details of a future agreement
. There, Mrs. Malmström is relatively optimistic about the support she will bring to the proposals she will present
– Congressional Republicans are fundamentally supportive of free trade and remain friends in the United States. Transatlantic partnerships, "said Malmström
Today meets a broken US government President says something while Congress can say something completely different
Malmström lived ] during the preparatory trial, where she had dozens of meetings and conference calls with Congress personalities and the Trump administration.The Politico information website writes that Malmström did "a massive mass of work before meeting with Trump this week, she met, among others, the Republican Speaker in the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, and Democrat Nancy Pelosi She also had a one-on-one meeting with Robert Lighthizer on Tuesday, who appears to be a key person in the negotiations for Trump.
– Robert Lighthizer and I regularly talk and develop a relationship and he also believes that it is important to start more positive process. He has the greatest experience of commercial policy and worked with Reagan. He is not passionate about free trade, but he is kindly closed in the Trump administration.
In the spring, Malmström also had dozens of meetings with the Minister of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, in the spring, where they discussed customs. According to Malmström, these discussions "did not go very well". Two camps seem to have appeared in the Trump administration, where one group advocates more customs and another wants to see more global trade.
However, despite radical changes in US trade policy, Malmström simultaneously sees other countries in the world now united behind common interests for more trade. Last week, Malmström was in Beijing for a meeting where they discussed reforms of the World Trade Organization, the WTO, among other things. The EU has also recently signed a comprehensive trade agreement with Japan and also mentions successful negotiations with Mexico, Singapore, Canada, Indonesia and Chile.
– Thus, the circle of friends who want more trade has been expanded, says Malmström
She also sees several common commercial policy goals with the United States in the future. Although there are many major hurdles to the attempt to reduce steel tariffs, she sees how they can cooperate with the United States to reform the WTO.
– We will have to, among other things, review the type of massive public subsidies that include China doing it. Then the organization has to change. Today, unanimity is required to make decisions, but it would be better if countries that want to move forward can do so. We also need to make sure that countries respect the rules and then we need an independent appeal court that really works.
Trump: We will work to reduce customs taxes
Pia Gripenberg: A new conflict is just a tweet
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