EU's Juncker heads to US in last-ditch bid to end Trump trade war
In exchange for dropping tariffs on European car exports, Washington demands a wide-ranging trade deal with Europe that includes no non-tariff barriers and no subsidies
Brussels European — Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker heads to Washington on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort by the EU to cool nerves and find an exit door from an all-out trade war with US President Donald Trump. Juncker, a grizzled veteran of EU politics, follows a long list of European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who have tried to lure Trump away from a protectionist onslaught that has spooked financial markets and the world. The former Luxembourg prime minister is going to Washington without a negotiating mandate, but with the intention of thinking "outside the box" to "find a solution" with Trump, said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, who will join Juncker on the trip. Juncker leaves for Washington on Tuesday and his meeting with Trump is scheduled for 1.30pm (7.30pm SA time) on Wednesday, to be followed by a speech on EU-US ties. "It is an opportunity to dedramatise any potential tensions on trade and to engage into an open, constructive dial...
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