Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has indicated that her upcoming visit to the White House to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump will hinge on the establishment of a “concrete” trade package for discussion. In a press conference held in Brussels on Friday, she emphasized the importance of arriving at the negotiation table with a clear agenda.
Upcoming talks depend on trade package
Von der Leyen noted that she and Trump had agreed during their last meeting at the Vatican that her visit would occur soon; however, no specific date has been confirmed as of yet. She elaborated, stating, “I think I had a good conversation with Trump on the phone and at the funeral of the Pope. But for me, it’s important that if I go to the White House, I want to have a package we can discuss. So it has to be concrete, and I want to have a solution that we can both agree on that.”
The trade relationship between the European Union and the United States remains fraught with tension. Trump has previously implemented tariffs, maintaining a 10 percent tax on all imports from the EU, alongside 25 percent tariffs on automobiles and metal imports. The EU temporarily suspended its own targeted tariffs in a bid to facilitate negotiations during a 90-day pause called by Trump.
EU considers new tariffs in response
In a significant move, the European Union ramped up pressure on Thursday by proposing potential tariffs on nearly €100 billion worth of U.S. imports, which could impact major products such as airplanes. This announcement came shortly after the EU released a detailed list of U.S. goods that may face these tariffs.
In a surprising twist, following the unveiling of the EU’s tariff list, President Trump expressed admiration for von der Leyen, describing her as “so fantastic” and expressing a desire for an imminent meeting. This commendation marks a notable shift from his prior approach, which included a lack of engagement with EU officials—none of whom were invited to his presidential inauguration—and a critical view of the bloc as being structured to disadvantage the United States.
“I like compliments … In general,” von der Leyen responded with a laugh when asked about Trump’s praise.