According to the Brussels newspaper, EU negotiators are already at a loss.
The return of Donald Trump strikes fear in the heart of Brussels, he wrote in his article on Tuesday Politico. As the paper puts it: If the Republican leader is re-elected, they fear sweeping import tariffs, once EU negotiators have already lost their grip.
“The thing on everyone’s mind is: What if the election goes the wrong way?” – The Brussels newspaper quoted an EU trade diplomat, who requested anonymity, and a lawyer who advises corporate clients on European trade matters. According to Politico, the latter said:
European Union officials and business leaders are “scared” by the idea of a Trump comeback.
Why are they afraid of Trump in Brussels?
As the paper points out: Brussels and Washington are also negotiating the agreement on vital minerals. If the deal goes through, it would allow EU mining and chemical companies to sell their products to US battery makers without the risk that Americans will see cuts in tax breaks for electric cars under the US Inflation Cut Act. The coming months will be very important for EU-US relations. Luisa Santos, an employee at industrial lobbying organization BusinessEurope, told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the Politico article also notes:
And not all trade experts are “burying” the prospects for transatlantic trade relations should Trump – or any other Republican – win the presidency.
Politico writes: According to some experts, Washington has taken a hard line on trade even under Biden’s leadership and played the role of the World Trade Organization in adjudicating disputes. In other words, “the tone and atmosphere will change, but in essence, transatlantic trade relations will not be much different under a Biden or Trump presidency,” David Kleiman, a visiting fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
(after the Mandarin)
