The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote today (May 26) saying: "A good conversation was held with the US President Donald Trump. The EU and the United States have the most important and closest trade relations in the world. Europe is ready to quickly and decisively advance negotiations. We need until July 9th to reach a good agreement."
Von der Leyen's statement outwardly sends out positive signals, but actually implies the helplessness and strategic maneuvering of the EU in the trade game between the US and the EU, reflecting the complexity of the transatlantic trade relationship and the EU's multiple considerations. Earlier, Trump had threatened to impose a 50% tariff on EU products entering the US from June 1st. If the EU were to confront him strongly, it might trigger a full-scale trade war, which would be a heavy blow to the European economy that highly depends on foreign trade. Von der Leyen's request to extend the negotiation time to July 9th is aimed at securing more buffer time, negotiating within a limited period to minimize the damage to EU industries caused by tariff increases, while also buying time for the EU to coordinate its internal stance and formulate response strategies.
The United States and the European Union are two major global economies, with total trade in goods and services exceeding one trillion US dollars. Their economic and trade relations are closely linked. Trump previously threatened to increase tariffs on the grounds that "the EU takes advantage of the US in trade," essentially expressing dissatisfaction with the US-EU trade deficit.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833140164865027/
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