The EU wants to avoid a trade war with the US at all costs. It states that "if unfairly hit, it will respond firmly and proportionally," but insists on avoiding an escalation that would only harm both blocs, 800 million people, and the "main commercial artery of the planet." To achieve this, European Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who in the previous term was in charge of negotiating the post-Brexit trade framework with the UK or seeking favorable energy agreements in markets for the entire European bloc, has traveled to Washington this week to meet with key officials of the new US administration.
The European delegation met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was confirmed by the Senate this week. Also present at the meeting were Trade Representative Jameson Greer and the President's Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hasset. "We spent about four hours together, even in the impressive Roosevelt Room of the White House. Upon coming here, I emphasized that while we will protect European interests, we seek constructive dialogue to avoid unnecessary pain from measures and countermeasures," Sefcovic said on Thursday.
"I believe we are both aware that we face some of the same challenges (for example, global overcapacity driven by non-commercial practices) and that the EU is part of the solution, not the problem. We would also mutually benefit from integrating strategically important supply chains. And where we disagree, I think we should do everything possible to resolve it in a way that benefits businesses and people on both sides of the Atlantic. Just as the United States looks out for its interests, so does the European Union," the commissioner added. Trump's threat of tariffs is imminent, but Europe hopes to buy time while negotiating an overall framework, as it considers it more logical to talk things out rather than engage in reciprocal punishments.
However, the European side is well aware that figures, goodwill, and even logical arguments will not be enough. Trump's obsession goes much further. He believes, as he always has, that the whole world takes advantage of the US. He thought this of Japan in the 1980s and now thinks it of Germany and the EU. He sees them as ungrateful countries or blocs that the US helped economically after World War II and should show gratitude, not compete "unfairly."
Quoting Henry Ford, Madelaine Albright, or Ronald Reagan ["We are in the same boat as our trading partners. If one partner has a hole, does it make sense for the other to dig another hole in theirs? We should work together to plug them"], the commissioner has urged the US not to start a war, not to impose restrictive measures that would be met with equivalent countermeasures, to the detriment of all. "If we are hit with unfair measures, we will react firmly and proportionately, but we do not want to speculate on volume, value, dates. We are big, let's avoid this," he pleaded.