Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner for Trade, is travelling to Washington on Tuesday to continue discussions with the US administration about the trade tensions caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs.
"Commissioner Šefčovič is on his way to the airport and will fly to the United States to meet White House Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tomorrow," the European executive confirmed in a brief statement on Monday.
"This is a continuation of our engagement with the US administration," noted an EU trade spokesperson.
Šefčovič had previously visited Washington on 19 and 20 February in an attempt to ease tensions.
Last Thursday, the European Commission delayed the implementation of its countermeasures by two weeks until mid-April, responding to Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. The intention, according to Brussels, is to allow “more time” for negotiations with the US.
On the day the US tariffs were enforced, the EU announced tariffs on several imported US products, such as boats, motorcycles, and bourbon, which were initially set to take effect from 1 April.
Considering Trump’s tariffs "unjustified" and "harmful," the Commission aims to flex its muscles and compel the US President to engage in dialogue.
