LOC11:53
08:53 GMT
BRUSSELS, July 14 (KUNA) -- EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said Monday he would meet US counterparts later today, aiming to secure a deal before the August one deadline for US President Donald Trump's planned 30 percent tariffs.
"I intend to speak with my US counterparts again later today, as I cannot imagine walking away without genuine effort," Sefcovic told reporters ahead of a meeting of the EU trade ministers in Brussels.
Despite Trump's recent announcement of sweeping tariffs on the EU, the commissioner expressed his belief that Washington remained open to continuing negotiations, saying, "I feel Washington is ready to continue the negotiations."
Sefcovic warned against the ongoing uncertainty caused by what he described as "unjustified tariffs," stressing that "the current uncertainty cannot persist indefinitely."
Reaching a deal, he said, remained the EU's priority, but noted that the bloc was preparing for "all outcomes," including "well-considered, proportionate countermeasures."
For his part, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, underscored the importance of the EU showing its strength to achieve a fair agreement.
"We don't want any kind of trade war with the US... we don't want to escalate things," he told reporters, adding, "We want a deal, but there's an old saying: 'If you want peace, you have to prepare for war.'"
Meanwhile, French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin stressed the need to draw up the EU's retaliation plans with "no taboos," adding, "If you hold anything back, you are not strengthening your hand in negotiations." (end)
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