“I don’t call it a commercial agreement”: the EU thinks it is much better than the United Kingdom in its negotiation with Trump

The Commercial Ministers of the European Union (EU) wish a more ambitious commercial agreement than the one concluded between the United Kingdom and the United States, said Thursday, adding that such agreement, now the US customs duties, would not be sufficient to avoid reprisal measures of the European block.

President Donald Trump and the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced a week ago, after completing a limited bilateral commercial agreement, which maintains the customs tasks of 10% imposed by Trump in British exports, while reducing the highest rights over steel and cars.

The Polish Vice Minister of the Economy, Michal Baronowski, whose country provides the rotating presidency of the EU, said the British agreement and the truce with China gave some hope of appeasement.

However, before a meeting of European trade ministers in Brussels, he said that the European Union should not “hurry.” The block, according to him, does not need a quick agreement, and this also seems to be the feeling of other partners, such as Japan.

“Better agreement than everyone else”

“I think we can obtain a better agreement to stay with quite high customs tasks … I hope (the EU) obtains a better agreement than all the other agreements that the United States is currently negotiating.”

Swedish trade minister Benjamin Douusas was more direct.

“If Europe obtains the agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States, the latter can wait for us,” he told the press.

The EU faces a 25% customs surcharge in its exports of steel, aluminum and cars to the United States, as well as the so -called “reciprocal” customs tasks of 10% in almost all other products, which will probably be recorded at 20% if the negotiations fail during the 90 -day break, which extends until July 8.

French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said that the EU could not accept reciprocal customs duties, a point of view shared by the Finnish city Tavio.

The European Commission, which coordinates the EU commercial policy, has prepared a list of 95 billion euros (106 billion dollars) last week of American imports that are probably taxed, but has repeated that it favored a negotiated solution.

The European Commission of Commerce, Maros Sefcovic, said Thursday that the EU and the United States had agreed to intensify their discussions for a commercial agreement, after an exchange the previous day with the US secretary to trade, Howard MondayT.