Lithuania’s finance minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas on Monday called on the European Union to pursue negotiations with Washington while preparing countermeasures after renewed tariff threats from US President Donald Trump.
“We must take into account that we will be in this game throughout President Trump’s term. We must find retaliatory measures for these tariffs,” Vaitiekūnas told reporters in Brussels.
“We have to negotiate,” he added. “I believe that this process involving tariffs, negotiations and pressure from both sides will be constant during this administration.”
Trump said Friday that the United States could raise tariffs on European Union cars and trucks to 25%, accusing the bloc of failing to honour a previous agreement.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that despite the deal, the EU has yet to adjust certain tariffs or regulations. The European Union rejects the claims and says it is adhering to the agreement.
EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič is scheduled to meet Greer in Paris on Tuesday on the sidelines of a Group of Seven ministerial meeting to discuss the dispute.
Under an agreement reached last year, US tariffs on EU cars were reduced to 15%, lower than the 25% rate applied to some other countries.
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