Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission’s trade chief, is set to meet his US counterparts in Washington on Tuesday before travelling to Beijing on Thursday for talks with Chinese officials, according to Euractiv.
The visits come days before US President Donald Trump is expected to impose “reciprocal tariffs.” It also comes just weeks after Trump imposed general 25% duties on all US steel and aluminium imports.
In talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Grier, Šefčovič would seek a solution on steel and aluminium duties, an EU official said.
Meanwhile, Šefčovič’s talks with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao will focus on a wider range of issues, including European companies’ access to the Chinese market, Chinese investment in the EU and the growing threat to Europe’s industrial base from Beijing’s state-subsidised producers.
However, a real “reset” in EU-China relations may require the involvement of more senior EU leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen or German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz.
Šefčovič’s trips also come as the US has steadily increased pressure on Beijing since Trump returned to the White House in January. Trump’s decisive action could prompt the EU to take a more aggressive stance on China, experts suggest.
Earlier, Trump accused China of “raping” the US and criticised Beijing’s “mercantilist” policies as “the greatest theft in the history of the world.” This month, the US leader imposed an additional 10% tariff on all US imports from China, doubling the duty he imposed in February.
