EU Trade Commissioner seeks to further US talks
Published on: Thursday, November 15, 2018
WASHINGTON: EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom arrived in Washington on Tuesday to further talks with the United States on a new trade deal, but she stressed that it would be limited.The "appetite" among European Union members is for a limited deal to open trade in industrial goods, but excluding agriculture, she said.US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced plans for a deal in late July, in an effort to head off US threats of tariffs on auto imports.
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So far, officials have been focused on preliminary work. "We haven't started negotiating yet," Malmstrom said. "I am here to continue and develop the talks."Negotiations on a "smaller agreement focusing on industrial goods" can begin once the scope is defined, "but that would be quite limited," Malmstrom said at the German Marshall Fund.
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And Juncker was "crystal clear" in his meeting with Trump that agriculture would not be included, she said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"We have been focusing this fall on regulatory cooperation, to identify fields where we can facilitate trade in certain areas," she said. – AFP
