Uncertainty and a certain unrest surrounds the European Union in the face of the new administration of Donald Trump at the head of the White House. The drift of trade relations with the United States has become a concern for member states. For this reason, the economic vice president of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, has emphasized the importance to maintain a close relationship with Washington, especially in the face of the complex geopolitical situation.
The EU Trade Ministers met this Thursday in Brussels in a meeting in which the relationship with the United States was addressed. “It is clear that the US is our strategic ally. That is why it is important to maintain a close commitment, especially in the current geopolitical situation,” said the Latvian commissioner. As part of his argument, he highlighted that Brussels and Washington represent one of the largest trade and investment relations in the world, which is why There is a lot at stake economically.
The ghosts of trade tensions, the tariff bidding and the diplomatic tensions of the previous Republican legislatures put the bloc on guard, which in a persuasion strategy insists on the need to maintain trade relations. It is not that it is an illusory fear, Trump himself announced during the election campaign his intention to apply additional tariffs to imports of European products.
The general feeling that the Trade heads have expressed at the meeting is the need to confront in a united manner the trade policies that the Trump administration may lead to. “We are ready to react in a coordinated and precise manner,” added the Latvian commissioner.
Spain advocates, in this sense, building bridges with Washington. The Secretary of State for Commerce, Amparo López, indicated upon her arrival at the meeting that the Trumpist diatribe “It can be posed as a challenge, but there can also be a pragmatic approach. It is an administration with which we have already worked.” In addition, he added that the United States is a first-rate commercial partner for Spain, considering the important investments on the other side of the pond in the Spanish market.
The EU’s approach is to continue its openness to the world and, at the same time, diversify its trade relations with other countries. The community vice president has advocated continuing to maintain the network of EU agreements, promoting export opportunities and diversify supply to strengthen the economy and resilience.
Mercosur
The conversation of the Commerce heads also revolved around the Mercosur agreement. After years of negotiations, Brussels considers that the conditions to close the pact are met. The Secretary of State for Commerce talks about “substantial progress“for next December, after the G20 negotiation round in Brazil. Dombrovskis does not set a date to settle the disagreements of an agreement forged over 20 years, who speaks of progress in the talks.
The German Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck, wants to give a boost to the conversation, who during the meeting defended reaching to a conclusion “as soon as possible”, despite the reluctance expressed by France, which, rooted in the complaints of the agricultural sector, speaks of advantageous conditions for imports of products from Mercosur countries compared to the standards that the EU must meet.
The French refusal has been, in a way, reinforced by the doubts expressed by Belgium or Poland, although the Latvian commissioner maintains that the objective is to close the agreement as soon as possible. “We are making good progress, following the technical talks and taking note at the political level. “The conditions for an agreement are met.”Dombrovskis added, pointing out the difficulty of setting a date for the end of the talks.
#TwentySeven #advocate #strengthening #trade #relations #remaining #united #Trumps #return
