The European Union will not abandon its trade cooperation with the US, said European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis, although the European bloc intends to forge new partnerships in the context of the trade war initiated by Donald Trump.
“The European Union is not abandoning its closer, deeper, and more significant cooperation, the one it has with the US,” Dombrovskis said during the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington. This is an economic and trade relationship valued at $9.5 trillion, he emphasized.
Since returning to power, Donald Trump has imposed tariffs of 10% on most countries around the world, including the EU, which he has also threatened with tougher measures in the event of retaliation. The American president also introduced additional tariffs of 25% on certain sectors such as steel and aluminum and on cars imported into the US.
However, Dombrovskis insisted today that Washington and Brussels need each other even more “in an increasingly conflictual and competitive world.”
While the Union seeks to deepen existing corporate relationships, it will “also create new ones around the world to strengthen our economic security at home,” added the European Commissioner for Economy.
As he mentioned, the EU’s first preference is to achieve a solution through negotiations with the US on trade, but if discussions do not lead to a solution, the EU will respond with countermeasures.
Brussels hopes for a lifting of American tariffs on steel, aluminum, and cars through the achievement of an agreement.
EU officials have avoided harsh rhetoric against Trump’s arrows regarding US-EU trade relations and emphasize the need for reliable and predictable trade relations. On April 10, Brussels took its first countermeasures against Trump’s tariffs, which were frozen for 90 days, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that all options remain on the table regarding countermeasures.
To defend our “boring democracies”
The European Commissioner for Economy stated that the EU has already offered to buy more American liquefied natural gas (LNG) and to reduce tariffs on certain goods and added that Brussels would welcome more clarity from the American government regarding its ambitions.
He added that the European bloc is and will remain a reliable and predictable trading partner.
The bloc of 27 has already concluded trade agreements with 76 countries, has recently completed talks for new or enhanced partnerships with Mexico, Switzerland, and four South American countries in Mercosur, continues negotiations with India, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, and has started trade discussions with the United Arab Emirates, he said. “These trade agreements aim to create win-win partnerships that are reliable and rule-based,” he said.
In the context of security and defense, Trump “was right to say that Europe must take responsibility for its security,” emphasized the European official.
According to him, the EU “must bear its fair share of the burden along with its NATO allies, and particularly the US.” “We are also determined to support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression until a fair and lasting peace is achieved,” he said.
Noting that Europe has “fallen behind” the US and China in certain advanced technologies, Dombrovskis stated that the European bloc is determined to close this gap as a strategic priority.
At the same time, he noted that in times of turmoil, predictability, the rule of law, and the willingness to uphold the rules-based international order become Europe’s greatest advantages. “We are committed to doing whatever it takes to defend our ‘boring democracies’ because ‘boring’ brings certainty and a safe haven when this rules-based order is challenged elsewhere.” (4/23/2025)
