WASHINGTON, July 24 (Bernama-dpa) -- US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is prepared to lower threatened tariffs on European goods if the European Union opens its market further to US companies, reported German news agency dpa.
"If they agree to open up the union to American businesses, then we will let them pay a lower tariff," Trump said at an AI-focused event, referring to the ongoing negotiations with the EU. He added that serious talks were currently under way.
The US has been negotiating with the EU for weeks on a trade deal to prevent US tariffs of 30 per cent on imports from the bloc from taking effect on August 1.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron presented a united front during talks in Berlin on Wednesday, signalling that the EU is prepared to respond if negotiations with Washington fail.
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said the two leaders agreed to keep the option of additional trade measures on the table should talks with the US fail. He added that Merz and Macron were also prepared to devise new instruments, if necessary.
Kornelius said Germany and France also plan to closely coordinate with Italy and the European Commission as the talks with Washington enter their final phase.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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