EU Cecilia Malmström: "Donald Trump was exceptionally willing"



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After months of harsh words and threats of punishment, the EU and the United States are friends again

– What I saw in the morning, I did not not seen tweets go in the opposite direction Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, after his meeting with Donald Trump

Cecilia Malmström was in the delegation with the President of the EU, Jean-Claude Juncker, who has met Wednesday the US president of the White House in Washington.

Overall, discussions on tense trade relations continued for more than two hours

– it was in a rather positive spirit. He had been preceded by tweets in different directions from President Trump. But I still think it was a positive mood, she says.

One of Donald Trump's most important promises was to tear up and renegotiate the many trade agreements of the United States, which he believes unilaterally favor his counterparts. It has, among other things, threatened to impose a 45% penalty on Chinese products

The EU now has free trade agreements with most major trading partners – but not with the United States. United

on European steel and aluminum. When the EU imposed penalties on whiskey, motorcycles and jeans, Donald Trump threatened to penalty 20% European cars

A week ago he called the EU's " enemy of the United States. 19659012] 1 of 3 | However, after Wednesday's meeting, the risk of escalation should be slightly lower than previously, at least for now.

Negotiations on a free trade agreement for industrial products should rather be negotiated, but not in the auto industry.

"I hope that there will be no car wrecks."

It is now up to Cecilia Malmström and US Trade Minister Wilbur Ross to continue discussions for regular negotiations. I know that many automakers and subcontractors were very concerned. In any case, the risk is lower than it was two days ago, she said.

– We also discussed the possibility of finding a way to remove the tariffs of steel and aluminum that hit us. After the meeting, Donald Trump twisted the fact that the EU and the United States "love" – ​​which is far from the picture he gave the relationship earlier.

"Be sincerely disposed"

I think that President Trump, thinking of the statements made a few hours before the meeting, was exceptionally willing to go in that direction.

What did you have for the impression of him?

– I do not want to go into details. But he was sincerely willing to listen to what we had to say and, in any case, to move away from this picture.

How to interpret these hard words as easy to the meeting?

– I really do not know It is difficult to interpret US policy and the presidential statements on many issues. I do not have an answer that no one else has. But this creates some confusion.

Is the risk of a trade war now averted?

– No, this is not the case. That's still how the United States and China stand against each other. This is very disturbing. Even though we have had the impression that the threat of taxes on cars, at least until now, is devalued so … yes, we'll see. This is a positive signal and we have at least reduced the risk of the issue

Americans pay dearly for the customs of trump

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