U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his hope to meet with the “fantastic” European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen, as a new trade agreement with Britain raises optimism for ongoing tariff negotiations with other countries.
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“She’s so fantastic. I hope we’re gonna meet,” Mr. Trump remarked to reporters while announcing the U.S.-UK trade agreement—his first deal of this kind since implementing a series of broad global tariffs.
In his memorable words, “The European Union’s big thing, they want to make a deal very badly. Everybody wants to make a deal with the United States, so we’re doing that,” underscoring the eagerness of nations to engage with the U.S. at this pivotal moment.
A number of countries are lining up for discussions with Washington in hopes of mitigating the impact of substantial duties that can vary from 10% to as high as 145%, particularly aimed at China, which remains the president’s primary focus.
Mr. Trump has implemented a “baseline” tariff of 10% on imports from around the globe, which includes the 27-nation European bloc. He emphasized that the trade agreement with Britain signals the beginning of more negotiations, indicating his aspirations for productive talks with both the EU and China in the near future.
Britain has been proactive in trying to sidestep Mr. Trump’s tariffs. The Republican President maintains that these measures are essential to prevent the U.S. from being “ripped off” by other nations.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer initiated a charm offensive back in February, arriving at the White House with an invitation from King Charles for Mr. Trump’s historic second state visit. This endeavor seems to have paid off, as the trade deal reduced export tariffs on British cars from an original 27.5% down to 10%.
Meanwhile, Irish Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe has warned that a “worst-case scenario” could see between 50,000 to 75,000 individuals in Ireland facing the ramifications of U.S. trade tariffs in the medium term.
Ultimately, these developments set the stage for ongoing engagements as countries navigate the complexities of international trade under the current administration.
