Meloni heads to Washington: Navigating thorny tariff talks
European Affairs Minister Tommaso Foti said in a television interview that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will travel to Washington to discuss tariffs with U.S. President Donald Trump. When asked in what capacity she would travel, he replied, "She will go there as a leader from Europe, which currently lacks a unified leader."
Referring to the media-reported date of April 16 as the day of the Italian Prime Minister's trip to the USA, Minister Foti stated: "I don't know if it will be the 16th, but Giorgia Meloni will go."
Prime Minister Meloni to go to the USA for talks on tariffs
He explained that she would go there aware that tariff policy concerns the European Union, but also to seek a clear dialogue with Trump. He noted that the starting point for Meloni's talks with Trump will be that the new tariffs he announced "are a mistake."
Minister Foti commented on the global market situation, "Panic only brings losses. We must face the situation with the perspective that it could be temporary."
The Italian minister said, "We believe the Union should find a way to negotiate with Trump. He may have valid points in some sectors, for example, concerning European tariffs that affect cars from the USA. We must avoid a trade war."
In his opinion, retaliatory tariffs should not be introduced.
- We do not want to start a trade war - repeated Foti. He emphasized that Giorgia Meloni fought to exclude U.S. whiskey from tariffs, as it would impact Italian wines through retaliatory measures.
EU to respond to Trump's tariffs
According to a document, the European Commission will propose imposing retaliatory tariffs of up to 25 percent on American goods in response to Washington's decision to impose additional tariffs on the European Union.
The Commission's draft decision is 67 pages long and mostly filled with tables listing goods that will be subject to EU tariffs. The proposal predominantly suggests a 25 percent tariff and much less frequently a 10 percent one.
It appears that the EC did not propose tariffs on American whiskey. However, the list includes tariffs on yachts imported from the USA to the EU. There are also food products such as eggs, poultry, soybeans, and meat products.
Member states will vote on this matter on Wednesday (a majority of 15 countries, representing 65 per cent of the EU's population, is needed to reject the proposal). This is not a new list - during Donald Trump's first presidency (2017-21), the EU imposed tariffs in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum. Now the EC has refreshed this list.
