Reference News Network, July 6 report - According to AFP, on July 4, diplomatic sources revealed that EU negotiators will make every effort this weekend to lay the foundation for an agreement with their US counterparts to avoid EU goods being subject to additional tariffs by the US after July 9. If the two major trading blocs fail to reach an agreement by then, the US may impose tariffs of up to 50% on EU imports.

The EU's chief negotiator, European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, has already traveled to Washington this week for talks with the US side. As of July 4, the prospects for an agreement remain unclear.

"The negotiations are tough, and all possibilities exist," said a diplomat. Another diplomat emphasized, "It is not impossible to reach a principle agreement before the deadline."

The European Commission is responsible for trade negotiations between the EU's 27 member states and the outside world. If an agreement is reached between the US and the EU, President Trump may decide to continue freezing the tariffs he previously threatened to impose on the EU and other countries around the world. These diplomats explained that he might also formally impose them if the negotiations do not progress.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated on July 3 that the EU is willing to reach an agreement, while emphasizing that if the negotiations fail, the EU is prepared to defend its interests.

Several countries, including Germany, have expressed a tendency to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

According to Kyodo News, on July 4, as the deadline for the suspension of reciprocal tariffs on July 9 approaches, US President Trump has shown dissatisfaction with Japan for several days. The Japanese Senate has already announced the election on July 3. For the Ishiba government entering the election campaign, making concessions to the US easily could be fatal. The Japanese government and ruling party have been struggling to deal with Trump's continuous verbal attacks.

On July 4, Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shigeyuki Kono gave a speech in Akita City, stating: "Trump does not currently have a correct understanding of the actual situation in Japan." Trump posted on social media: "Japan faces a severe shortage of rice supply but is unwilling to buy rice from the US." Kono refuted this, saying: "He said that US rice has not entered the Japanese market, which is not true."

The report stated that since the start of the tariff negotiations between Japan and the US in April this year, the Japanese side has repeatedly explained to officials such as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo the actual achievements of Japanese investment in the US and the contributions made by Japan to expand Sino-US trade, and has requested the US to re-examine high tariffs including those on automobiles. However, from Trump's recent words and actions, it is hard to say that he has understood the Japanese position, and the Japanese side may need to reconsider its negotiation strategy.

If Japan fails to reach an agreement with the US before the deadline, the US government will impose higher tariffs on imported products from Japan, and Japan's domestic export industry will suffer a heavy blow.

Additionally, according to the website of the Japan Economic News, on July 4, the Indian government announced that it would impose retaliatory tariffs on imported goods from the US in response to the US government's imposition of tariffs on cars and parts. India has notified the World Trade Organization of the decision.

In the documents submitted to the WTO, India pointed out that due to the high tariffs imposed on Indian goods by the US amounting to 725 million dollars, India will also "impose tariffs of the same amount on US goods". On the other hand, the document also pointed out that if the US reconsiders its tariff policy and makes concessions, India may also withdraw or adjust its countermeasures.

India had previously dispatched a negotiation team to the US, aiming to sign a trade agreement with the US. Both sides aimed to reach a framework agreement before the US-set deadline of July 9, but so far the negotiations have been difficult.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, on July 5, the Cambodian government announced on July 4 that it had reached an agreement with the US in the tariff negotiations. The two sides will issue a joint statement on reciprocal tariffs in the near future, but the specific content of the agreement, including the tariff rates, remains unclear. Following Vietnam, Cambodia has become the second Southeast Asian country to reach a tariff agreement with the Trump administration.

The Trump administration had previously stated its plan to impose a 49% reciprocal tariff on Cambodia, which is the highest rate faced by Southeast Asian countries. Cambodia's total exports in 2024 were 26.2 billion dollars, with nearly 40% of its exports going to the US. Analysts believe that to alleviate the impact on the textile industry and other pillar industries, Cambodia may have made concessions in expanding imports of US products.

Translation by Zhao Ke Xin, Ma Xiaoyun

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523896404570341939/

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