“European officials involved in negotiations on a new trade agreement with the United States said that the signed document has become the least risky for the EU. Source: “European Truth” with reference to Bloomberg Details: although officially EU trade issues are dealing with the European Commission, an agreement between its President Ursula von Der Lyen and US President Donald Trump, according to which the United States would introduce 15 percent duties on most European imported goods.”, – WRITE: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: “European Truth” with reference to Bloomberg
Details: Although the European Commission is officially dealing with the EU trade issues, the agreement between its President Ursula von Der Lyen and US President Donald Trump, according to which the United States will introduce 15 percent duties on most European imported goods, was formed by national governments that tied their hands.
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The main obstacle that the EU negotiators faced throughout the process was that national governments, especially key in Berlin and Paris, were not ready to risk economic losses to make Trump to make concessions.
Von Der Lyen herself did nothing to confront it, and quickly retreated from the EU’s initial purpose – achieving a mutually beneficial and balanced agreement.
She called the deal “the best we could get.”
The sources of the agency said that a week ago, EU messengers were told that they had two options: agree to the 15 percent duties offered by Trump or take action. But ambassadors were warned that the EU should be ready to act together and ready for painful consequences. Member States were not ready for either.
According to the agency, during negotiations with the United States, European capitals have been consistently focusing on protecting their national interests, not on developing a strong European position, and looking for solutions that would minimize short -term risks for their key industries.
This is partly due to the political weakness of Germany and France, where both German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron face the threat of right-wing populists, ready to use any impact on the economy as weapons, said in the publication.
Another aspect is the fears of US dependence on security and concern that Trump can respond to trade pressure by reducing Ukraine’s support in its fight against Russian aggression.
The publication also states that the commission’s European Commission has encountered a scaffold of the requirements of the EU Member States to exclude a number of goods from the list to be response. Most of the requests were dictated by national interests, not the desire to develop a single position in Europe.
According to sources, if the commission granted all these requests, there would be nothing left on the lists.
In addition, Mertz repeatedly called for a quick and simple agreement, without specifying what it means, and in private conversations complained that EU officials were stuck in detail.
Recall:
- On July 27, after negotiations at the Scottish Thornbury, the US and the EU announced the conclusion of a framework trade agreement that secured duties on European imports to the US at 15%.
- This was the result of many months of negotiations against the backdrop of threats from the United States to set duties on European goods in the amount of 30% from August 1, while the EU hoped to maintain the main rate of tariffs at 10%.
- Trump praised the arrangement as “the greatest agreement that has ever been concluded.”
- At the same time, the trading agreement was criticized by the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and the head of the French Government François Bair.