German media: von der Leyen spoke with Trump, EU seeks agreement at the last minute

The deadline set by Trump for trade partners to reach a tariff agreement on July 9th is approaching, but the EU still hopes to reach an agreement with the United States. EU Commission President von der Leyen had a "good conversation" with Trump on Sunday.

The European Commission said on Monday (July 7) that EU Commission President von der Leyen had a "good exchange" with US President Trump on trade issues, and both sides are committed to reaching an agreement before the July 9th deadline to avoid high tariffs.

EU Commission Spokesman Kirsmaerk told reporters at a press conference that von der Leyen had a phone call with Trump on Sunday, but did not reveal the details of the conversation. "We hope to reach an agreement with the United States. We hope to avoid tariffs. We believe tariffs will cause pain. We want a win-win rather than a lose-lose."

The European Commission, which formulates the EU's trade policy for the 27 member states, has been negotiating with the United States for months. EU Trade Commissioner Šefčovič has met and spoken with U.S. trade officials multiple times. However, since Trump returned to the White House in January this year, he has had very few calls with von der Leyen.

If no agreement is reached, the U.S. tariffs on imports from the EU will double from the current level to 20%, or even higher. Trump previously threatened to raise it to 50%. Kirsmaerk said that all parties are actively working to find solutions. He also mentioned that EU Commission President von der Leyen is in contact with EU country leaders.

"Prepared"

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensons announced on Sunday that if trade partners including the EU and Taiwan fail to reach an agreement with the United States by July 9, the U.S. will launch tariffs on these countries on August 1. However, the European Commission said they are still striving to reach a framework agreement before the deadline.

When asked whether the U.S. statement meant there would be more time for negotiations, EU Trade Spokesman Gill said, "Your question should be directly addressed to the U.S. government." He said, "We are fully prepared to reach a principle agreement before Wednesday, and we are doing everything we can for this."

Berlin confirmed that German Chancellor Mertz (also known as Merkel) held discussions with EU leaders over the weekend on how to respond to the U.S. extending the negotiation period. The government spokesperson Cornelius said on Monday that Mertz called von der Leyen, French President Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Meloni on Sunday. "Therefore, we may wait 24 to 48 hours before making a decision."

Even if an agreement is reached, such an agreement may lack details, meaning further negotiations will be needed to elaborate on the content. However, the European Commission believes that regardless of what happens, the imbalance in trade measures between the EU and the U.S. will continue to exist.

Source: DW

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837011876008963/

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