During a recent meeting in Paris, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen engaged in what she described as “a good discussion on our shared challenges as allies” with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. This interaction marked the first occasion for senior officials from the European Union and the United States to convene following the election of Donald Trump, who announced significant tariffs of 25 percent on steel and aluminum imports from various countries.
Addressing trade challenges
In the wake of Trump’s tariff announcement, von der Leyen referred to Vance as an ally while simultaneously asserting that Brussels would retaliate against these new trade measures. The leaders also explored potential collaboration in addressing the issue of global steel overproduction, particularly concerning China’s excess production levels.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of an AI Summit in France, where von der Leyen welcomed Vance to Europe through a post on Elon Musk’s X platform. She emphasized the various areas of mutual interest, stating, “From security and stability to the great promise of technology and the critical challenge of non-market overcapacity.”
Strengthening U.S.-EU relations
The term non-market overcapacity refers to the situation where countries like China generate more steel than is necessary for the EU, often supported by forms of state aid that are unavailable to European nations, the U.S., and Japan. In response to queries from reporters, Vance conveyed that the “Trump administration has been very clear that we care a lot about Europe”, highlighting the potential for enhanced economic relationships. He stated, “We see a lot of economic relationship to build upon … we also want to make sure that we’re actually engaged in a security partnership which is good for both sides.”