The European Union (EU)'s offer of greater market access for U.S.industrial products, including cars etc. seems "not enough" to protect the EU from being imposing steel and aluminum tariffs by the United States, said EU's trade chief on Tuesday.
EU leaders last week in Sofia agreed on four areas the bloc was willing to discuss, including easier access for industrial products including cars, government tenders, energy, notably liquefied natural gas and reform of the World Trade Organization, but only if the exemption is made permanent.
"If we are exempted totally and no tariffs, which is the right thing to do. Then we are willing to engage in talks and see how we can facilitate trade relations," EU Trade Commissioner Cecelia Malmstrom told reporters before a meeting of EU ministers to discuss trade.
"I think they don't think it's enough," she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump decided in March to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and 10-percent on aluminum due to "national security" issue and had granted EU an exemption until June 1.
"We have pointed out that we are not negotiating anything under threat but we are willing to engage in positive agenda if we were excluded from these measures," Malmstrom told a news conference after the the meeting.
"There have been signals from the U.S. that the exemptions will not be prolonged, so either they will be imposed on us on June 1 or there will be other sorts of limiting measures," she said.
