EU doubts if it’s offer can prevent Trump tariffs

European Union proposals to open its markets wider to US products, including cars, appear not to have persuaded Washington to lift the threat of import tariffs on EU steel and aluminium. EU leaders last week agreed on four areas the bloc was willing to discuss, including easier access for industrial products, but only if the exemption is made permanent. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom spoke with US Commerce Secretary Mr Wilbur Ross after the proposals were made public, but said Washington did not seem satisfied. She said that “I think they don’t think it is enough. Even if European producers escaped tariffs, they were unlikely to have unrestricted access to US markets.There have been signals from the US that the exemptions will not be prolonged, so either they will be imposed on us on June 1 or there will be other sorts of limiting measures.” Ms Malmstrom said she could not imagine the EU accepting quotas unless they were at levels of exports in recent years.