EU says it has not received US letter demanding best trade offer, despite July deadline
Reuters
The European Union has not received a formal letter from the United States demanding that countries submit their best trade offers by Wednesday, a source familiar with the ongoing negotiations said, despite reports of such a document circulating in Washington.
The European Union has not received a letter reportedly drafted by the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration that calls on trade partners to submit their best offers by a Wednesday deadline, according to a source involved in the talks.
A draft of the letter reportedly set a July 9 deadline to continue negotiations between Washington and Brussels. However, it remains unclear whether the letter has been officially sent to the EU or any other negotiating partners.
After a recent phone call between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Trump, both leaders agreed to extend the timeframe for negotiations, reaffirming the July 9 target to push talks forward.
A European Commission spokesperson declined to confirm whether any documents had been formally exchanged between the two sides. “What we can say is that following the recent call between Presidents von der Leyen and Trump, both sides agreed to accelerate the pace of talks,” the spokesperson said.
Technical-level discussions are currently taking place in Washington, and a high-level meeting between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled for later this week in Paris.
The reported letter would have marked a tougher U.S. stance in trade negotiations, reflecting President Trump’s push for more favorable terms in transatlantic trade agreements. Despite this, the EU has continued to engage in dialogue, aiming to maintain momentum in the ongoing talks.
The situation underscores the fragility of EU-US trade discussions, which have been marked by disagreements on tariffs, subsidies, and regulatory standards in recent years.
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