A European Commission spokesperson said the EU “will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade,” including for tariffs that challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies.
“The European Union is the world’s largest free market. And it has been a boon for the United States,” the spokesperson said.
Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, was planning to meet with US lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday, but not with any Trump administration officials.
NEW USTR CONFIRMED
Also on Wednesday, the US Senate voted 56-43 to confirm Greer as US Trade Representative, putting a veteran of the Republican president’s first-term trade wars fully on the job.
Greer, who served as chief of staff to former USTR Robert Lighthizer, won the support of five Democrats, including both senators from Michigan, the centre of the US auto industry.
Trade groups welcomed Greer’s confirmation, lauding his commitment to consulting with industry and standing up for US businesses, farmers and workers. “We share Ambassador Greer’s desire for an active and pragmatic trade policy that creates US jobs and more resilient supply chains,” said Jake Colvin, president of the National Foreign Trade Council.
Greer told senators during his Senate confirmation hearing that he wanted to quickly renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade to ensure China does not use it as a back door to the US market to avoid other tariffs.
“Right out of the gate, I expect that we’ll be taking a second look at the USMCA,” Greer said.
Asked what changes he would like to see in the pact, Greer zeroed in on further tightening automotive content rules.
“I think we should look at the rule of origin for automobiles and aerospace and other things to look and see if we need to have any kind of restriction on content or value added from foreign countries of concern, or non-market economies,” he said, using language that US trade officials often use to describe China.
