The EU Commissioner is heading to the USA for trade talks: What are the expectations?

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic will meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during his visit to Washington on Monday.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill stated on Friday that EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic will travel to Washington on Monday to hold discussions with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The Commission hopes to advance negotiations on tariffs following weeks of deadlock. Gill said, "The EU is willing to find win-win outcomes and mutually beneficial agreements with our American counterparts to avoid tariffs and any harmful escalation that would harm both sides of the Atlantic." The EU proposed to reduce U.S. and EU tariffs on industrial goods to zero percent. The U.S. currently imposes a 25 percent tariff on EU aluminum and steel imports, a 25 percent tariff on EU cars, and a 10 percent tariff overall. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Monday before the U.S. announced a 90-day pause, "We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, as we have successfully done with many of our other trading partners." The Commission wanted to give negotiations with the U.S. a chance by suspending the retaliatory measures on the list of U.S. products that member states approved on Wednesday against U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel. EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis assessed the impact of the trade war initiated by the U.S. administration on Friday. According to the Commission's figures, Dombrovskis claimed that the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) would decrease by 0.8 to 1.4 percent by 2027, stating, "The negative impact on the EU will be less compared to the U.S., approximately around 0.2 percent of GDP." He added, "If tariffs are perceived as permanent, or if targeted countries retaliate and ignite a trade war, the economic consequences will be more negative: 3.1-3.3 percent for the U.S., 0.5-0.6 percent for the EU, and up to 1.2 percent for global GDP, while global trade would decrease by 7.7 percent within three years."