London and Washington advance towards an agreement, while the European Union calls for discussion. As part of discussions around customs duties announced by the United States, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump reported “productive negotiations” on Sunday, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pleaded for a “compromise” with the EU.
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump “have discussed productive negotiations between their respective teams on an economic prosperity agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States, and agreed that these negotiations would continue at a sustained pace this week,” said a Downing Street statement.
Since leaving the European Union, effective on January 1, 2021, London dreams of a commercial agreement with its great ally, which would allow it to escape American customs duties which target many European countries.
The steel industry is already targeted by customs duties against which London has not promised a response, unlike the EU. According to British media, the United Kingdom could return to its tax on digital services, a tax targeting in particular tech giants, in order to avoid additional customs duties and secure a commercial agreement with Washington.
Towards a “clear and decisive” reaction from the EU
For his part, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that the European Union would firmly respond to the customs tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, while stressing that Europe was also open to “compromise” and “cooperation” in this area.
“It is clear that we, as a European aon (…) will react clearly and decisively to the pricing policy of the United States,” he assured during the opening of a trade fair in Hanover, in northern Germany. However, he added, the EU is “always and at any time firmly willing to work in favor of a compromise and cooperation”.
“I say in the United States: the objective of Europe remains cooperation. But if the United States does not give us the choice, as with the customs of customs on steel and aluminum, we will react as a United European Aon, “warned Olaf Scholz.
On Wednesday, the American president announced his intention to impose customs duties of 25 % on the imports of light cars and trucks, which must come into force on April 3. A measure that would be added to the customs prices already imposed by Washington on steel and aluminum since mid-March.
As an important builder and exporter of cars, Germany could be particularly affected by customs duties on the automobile, which have been the subject of a visit to Washington of the German Minister of Finance, Joerg Kukies, last week. Berlin promised a firm response to customs duties, a government spokesperson specifying that “nothing was excluded”.