On June 21, during US-EU trade negotiations, the United States demanded unilateral concessions that appeared unbalanced to EU officials. If the terms of the potential agreement are not improved, the EU will make a difficult decision on whether to take countermeasures. According to informed sources, the best scenario is still to reach an agreement on principles, allowing negotiations to continue after the final deadline in early July.
Washington's demands can be categorized into three types. The first involves measures related to fish export quotas, which EU officials say may not comply with WTO rules. The second involves non-reciprocal tariff-related measures. The third is a series of economic security requirements described by EU officials as far-fetched.
Informed sources indicate that even if an agreement is reached, many of Trump's tariffs will remain unchanged. The EU has been seeking a mutually beneficial agreement and will assess any final outcome, deciding at that stage the degree of inequality it is willing to accept—if any.
