[Text/Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] After Trump proactively initiated the century's tariff war, the EU has been busy offering advice on how to cope with it while negotiating with the US on sensitive issues in multiple fields.

According to a report by the Financial Times on April 15, the European Commission said that two hours of talks between the trade negotiators from both sides did not yield any progress. Moreover, the US has yet to clarify its demands in the trade negotiations.

The report stated that on April 14, Maroš Šefčovič, the EU Commissioner responsible for trade and economic security, met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington to discuss how to cancel the so-called reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US, as well as steel, aluminum, and automobile tariffs.

"We need to hear more from the Americans. We need to have a clearer understanding of what they hope to achieve in these negotiations," said Olof Gill, spokesperson for EU trade affairs.

Gill stated that Šefčovič reiterated the EU's proposal for mutual exemption of industrial product tariffs between Europe and the US.

He said, "The EU is doing its part. Now, the US needs to clarify its position. As in every negotiation, this must be a two-way process... Both sides should benefit."

The report noted that neither the White House nor the Department of Commerce immediately responded to requests for comment.

On April 7, 2025, Duisburg, Germany, port containers. IC Photo.

This month, the US government swung the "tariff stick" indiscriminately, imposing so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on global trading partners, which sparked strong dissatisfaction in the international community. The EU's average weighted tariff rate for the US is 3% to 4%, but the US has imposed a 20% tariff on EU goods.

Trump proposed that the EU should buy more liquefied natural gas. It was reported that in response to Trump's tariffs, the EU might promise to increase purchases of liquefied natural gas from the US.

Trump also criticized the EU for not buying enough cars and setting "non-tariff barriers," excluding US chicken washed with chlorine and beef fed with hormones. He also criticized value-added tax and European digital regulations.

After "Liberation Day," Trump reversed his stance a week later, suspending "reciprocal tariffs" at a 10% benchmark rate for 90 days. However, he pointed out that if relevant countries cannot reach an agreement with the US during the 90-day suspension period, he would reinstate the previous tariff policy.

However, on Monday (April 14), Trump announced the launch of a "Section 232 investigation" into semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. A "Section 232 investigation" refers to the US Commerce Department's investigation into whether certain product imports threaten national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Typically, the commerce secretary will release the investigation results within 270 days.

Gill said that Šefčovič reiterated the importance of building resilient transatlantic supply chains in these industries. He described this meeting as a "focused scoping" meeting discussing topics including the "zero-to-zero" tariff plan and the issue of overcapacity in the global steel and aluminum industries.

He added that food safety standards are "sacrosanct."

He said that the commissioner reiterated that the EU and the US face many common challenges and can address these challenges together to benefit both sides. "The EU will continue to approach these talks constructively to identify areas of mutual interest. Clearly, achieving a successful outcome within the 90-day deadline requires efforts from both sides."

The EU stated on April 14 that retaliatory tariffs on $21 billion worth of American goods would be postponed until July 14 for negotiations with Washington. Gill said that the EU is continuing to formulate further measures against other tariffs in case no agreement can be reached.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493567948620169739/

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