EU trade ministers have condemned the US-UK trade deal, warning that Brussels will not replicate London’s decision to accept a baseline 10% US tariff to avoid other levies on cars and metals.
Last week, the UK became the first country to reach a trade agreement with the US since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
London received concessions on Trump’s 25% levies on cars, aluminium, and steel, but its goods remain subject to a 10% “universal” duty.
“If the UK-US deal is what Europe gets, then the US can expect countermeasures from our side,” Sweden’s Trade Minister, Benjamin Dousa, said before meeting his European counterparts in Brussels on Thursday.
“I [would] barely call it a trade deal at all… The baseline is still there.”
Dousa’s remarks were echoed by Finland’s Trade Minister, Ville Tavio, who described the deal as “not an optimal agreement for the UK [by] any means.”
His French counterpart, Laurent Saint-Martin, similarly warned that the bloc should be “vigilant” about believing that “stopping at 10% reciprocal tariffs would be good news.”
Poland’s Michał Baranowski, whose country currently holds the rotating six-month EU Council presidency, also suggested Europe would not be “happy with” a deal similar to Britain’s. “I think we can have a better deal than staying with pretty high tariffs,” he said.
Thursday’s meeting comes on the 37th day of a 90-day US “pause” on so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” which include a 20% duty on EU exports.
Brussels has already threatened to hit back with two separate retaliatory packages targeting a total of €116 billion worth of American exports if no agreement is reached.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič told reporters ahead of Thursday’s meeting that he had a “constructive call” on Wednesday with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, during which both sides agreed to “intensify” technical discussions.
‘A red line’ on China
The ministers’ remarks also follow China’s vociferous criticism of the US-UK deal, which Beijing argues will allow Washington to restrict Chinese investment into Britain.
Hungary’s representative, Levente Magyar, warned that any pressure from Washington to “decouple” from Beijing would constitute a “red line” for Budapest.
The country enjoys warm economic ties with China, while its far-right leader, Viktor Orbán, is one of Trump’s closest political allies.
“We’re having excellent trade relations with China, and China has become one of the biggest investors in Hungary,” Magyar said.
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Source: www.euractiv.com
