© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trump And EU Agree To Work Toward Zero Tariffs

President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker  deliver a joint statement on trade in the Rose Garden of the White House Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Win McNamee
/
Getty Images
President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker deliver a joint statement on trade in the Rose Garden of the White House Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Updated at 6:54 p.m. ET

President Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday that they have agreed to work toward removing all trade barriers between the two sides.

In a Rose Garden announcement, Trump said the EU had also agreed to buy U.S. soybeans, a day after he announced a $12 billion bailout package for farmers hit by retaliatory tariffs. Trump said the EU will also become a "massive buyer" of U.S. liquefied natural gas.

Trump and Juncker appeared after a White House meeting, with both sides saying progress was made toward resolving some of the trade issues that have soured the relationship between the U.S. and the EU since Trump imposed tariffs on EU exports of steel and aluminum.

Juncker declared he "had the intention to make a deal today and we made a deal today."

Trump said the two agreed "to work toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods." Trump also said "We're starting the negotiation right now, but we both know every much where it's going."

While the EU agreements to buy more U.S. soybeans and energy were tangible, the bigger result of the meeting may have been the retreat from the threat of a full-scale trade war between the two sides.

Trump said they'll work to resolve the steel and aluminum tariff issues, calling it "a new phase in the relationship" between the U.S. and the EU, and "a very big day for free and fair trade."

Juncker said it was a "good, constructive meeting."

Earlier in an Oval Office photo op, Juncker said the U.S. and EU were "allies, not enemies," a rebuff of Trump's recent comments, in which he labeled the EU a "foe." The president had threatened to impose tariffs as high as 25 percent on European autos imported in the U.S. which brought a EU promise of retaliation.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content