EU Trade Negotiator travels to Washington on monday in search of tariff solution
European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic will be in Washington this Monday to seek progress toward a solution that could end the tariff escalation initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. His visit comes as the EU has decided to freeze its retaliatory measures in order to “give negotiations a chance.”
“I will not go into the details of where these talks may lead beyond what we’ve said many times — that the European Union wants to find a mutually beneficial solution,” said Sefcovic’s spokesperson, Olof Gill, during a press conference.
The goal is to reach an agreement to “avoid tariffs and prevent a harmful escalation that would damage both sides of the Atlantic and, indeed, the entire global economy,” the spokesperson added, stressing that Sefcovic is traveling “in good faith to try to find solutions.”
As trade policy is an exclusive competence of the EU, the commissioner speaks on behalf of all 27 member states. He is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson L. Gree, with whom he maintains regular phone contact.
This will be the EU negotiator’s third trip to Washington since the escalation began, taking place just days before Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also set to visit the U.S. capital to meet with Trump on Thursday.
Last Thursday, Sefcovic announced his latest contact with U.S. counterparts via a brief message on social media, stating they were preparing to “launch meaningful negotiations.” This came after the EU decided to suspend the implementation of its first round of countermeasures, despite the U.S. maintaining tariffs on European imports.
That initial round, which would have imposed a 25% tariff on approximately €21 billion worth of U.S. goods, was approved by the 27 member states on Wednesday in response to the 25% duties still imposed by the U.S. on European steel and aluminum. It is now suspended for 90 days as a gesture to “give negotiations a chance,” even though Washington’s tariffs remain in place.
The European Commission will also postpone the presentation of its proposal for a second round of retaliatory measures, which had been planned for next week. This round targets the ongoing 25% tariff on cars and the indiscriminate duties Trump has only partially reduced — from 20% to 10% — for the EU over the next 90 days.
Preparations for this second round “are ongoing,” but for now, “no announcements will be made,” a Commission spokesperson said Thursday, in order to “create space” for dialogue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has not been able to speak directly with Trump since the start of the tariff standoff, said on Friday that among the range of options in this second phase, taxing large U.S. tech companies is still on the table.
