The first negotiation on duties Between the European Union and the United States it has failed. No agreement on customs rates, with the two fronts that still seem very far away. Donald Trump would have asked Europe to sit at the negotiation table, with EU officials who, in response, would have pointed out to find themselves in Washington exactly for that reason.
On April 17, the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni It will be visiting the USA to talk about duties. A journey that should have concerned exclusively the position of Italy, has quickly transformed into a new opportunity for dialogue with Trump throughout Europe.
No agreement on the duties
The first negotiation on duties did not lead to concrete results between the European Union and the United States. Brussels had proposed a reset of the duties on industry and automotiveto avoid his retaliation, ready to enter into force as soon as the suspension of mutual duties of 20% on all European products will expire.
Trump refused And the EU delegation would have complained of the absence of concrete proposals by Washington. The spokesman Olof Gill said: “It is up to the USA to clarify what they want”.
There European retaliation is ready. In addition to the duties on 400 American products, there is above all the threat of one web taxwhich would significantly reduce the profits of American technological companies in Europe. A result opposed to that sought by Trump, intends to force the EU to lower its safety, privacy and competition standards through the duties.
Meloni’s mission in the USA
The stall of the negotiations between the EU and the USA makes Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Washington even more crucial on April 17th. Since Donald Trump’s election, the premier has tried to propose himself as mediator Among the American and European positions, exploiting both political proximity to some environments that support Trump, and credibility that has earned in Brussels as a national leader.
On April 15, a summit was held at Palazzo Chigi between the Prime Minister, the two vice -premier Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani, the Minister of Economy Giorgetti, that of Defense Crosetto and that for European affairs Foti. In a subsequent public intervention, Meloni expressed concern, speaking of a “difficult moment“.
The phone call with Von der Leyen
To witness the importance that Meloni’s mission has taken on in Washington there would also have been a phone call from the President of the European Commission Ursula von der leyen. According to the agency Handlethe contact would take place on the evening of April 15, after the government summit.
Its content would be framed “in the negotiation between the EU and the Trump Administration on dossier duties“. The particularly delicate moment makes Meloni’s position even more fundamental. All attempts to show themselves as a possible mediator between Europe and the US should be fruit in the next few hours.
