WASHINGTON, United States (US): US President, Donald J. Trump, expressed “100 per cent” confidence in reaching “a trade deal” in the ongoing tariff dispute with the European Union (EU) as he met Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, at the White House on Thursday.
“Oh, there’ll be trade deal, 100 per cent,” Trump said, reported German news agency, dpa.
He was responding to a journalist’s question about what would happen if there was no agreement at the end of the 90-day pause he had set – and he reacted almost mockingly.
“What, you think there won’t be? Of course there will be a trade deal. Very much. They want to make one, very, very much.
“And we’re going to make a trade deal. I fully expect it, but it’ll be a fair deal,” he said.
This demonstrative certainty follows a familiar pattern as Trump often makes clear statements like these, likely to exert pressure on negotiating partners.
Last week, following significant turbulence in the stock and financial markets, Trump unexpectedly decided to grant many countries, including the EU, a 90-day pause from certain tariffs.
These tariffs are punitive and based on the trade deficit of the respective countries, with China being an exception.
With this decision, Trump temporarily put part of his extensive tariff package on hold.
The EU also announced it would suspend planned retaliatory tariffs on US products for 90 days. -BERNAMA-dpa
