In Warsaw on February 4, Maros Sefcovic, the European Union's trade chief, expressed the EU's intention to promptly engage with the United States regarding President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs. Sefcovic emphasized the importance of "early engagement" and awaited confirmation of Trump's Commerce Secretary pick, Howard Lutnick.
Sefcovic stated, We are ready to engage immediately... to avoid measures that could disrupt the crucial trade relationship. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, stressed the EU's commitment to safeguard its interests in negotiations, focusing on common interests like critical supply chains and emerging technologies.
Von der Leyen affirmed the EU's readiness for challenging negotiations in order to strengthen the partnership. She underlined, We will protect our interests – whenever necessary. EU officials acknowledged limited contact with the Trump administration due to waiting for confirmations of appointed officials. The meeting coincided with additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and impending tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Sefcovic highlighted the 50-billion-euro trade deficit between the EU and the U.S., representing 3% of the total annual trade volume of 1.5 trillion euros, supporting 4 million jobs on both sides. Luxembourg's Xavier Bettel and Irish Minister Peter Burke emphasized unity and strategic negotiation tactics for the EU, refusing to enter negotiations with immediate concessions.