EU Expresses Disapproval of UK, US Trade Deal
(MENAFN) European Union trade officials have voiced strong disapproval of the recent commercial pact between the United Kingdom and the United States, suggesting that retaliatory action against Washington may be considered if more advantageous terms for the EU are not secured.
The dissatisfaction stems from a limited agreement reached last week between United States Leader Donald Trump and British Premier Keir Starmer, which preserves a 10 percent baseline tariff on goods exported from the UK while slightly reducing steeper levies on products such as steel and automobiles.
Trump has imposed a series of import duties aimed at European manufacturers of vehicles and metal goods.
Earlier this month, on April 2, he revealed a significant hike on all imports from the EU, but subsequently reduced the increase to 10 percent for a 90-day period, allowing space for continued dialogue.
Ahead of a scheduled meeting of EU trade ministers in Brussels on Thursday, Sweden’s Trade Minister, Benjamin Dousa, addressed journalists and stated, “If the UK-US deal is what Europe gets, then the US can expect countermeasures from our side.”
He further remarked that he could “barely” regard it as a legitimate trade agreement, emphasizing that “the [10%] baseline is still there.”
His apprehensions were supported by Finland’s Trade Minister, Ville Tavio, who criticized the arrangement as “not an optimal agreement for the UK [by] any means,” suggesting broader concerns across the bloc regarding the fairness and balance of the deal.
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