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Macron meets Merz in Berlin as EU prepares $100 billion tariff retaliation
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron hold talks in the library of the Villa Borsig, guesthouse of the German Foreign Ministry, in Berlin. AFP
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed hope Wednesday that EU and US negotiators gathering in Washington are making progress in their efforts to end the transatlantic trade dispute.
Merz greeted French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin and stated that the two European leaders will debate 'trade policy, on which we are hearing in these minutes that there could possibly be decisions.'
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 30% tariff on European products if the transatlantic partners do not reach an agreement by August 1.
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The EU has attempted to resolve trade issues with Washington through discussions, while developing precise measures for reprisal if necessary.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that Washington was making progress on the tariff negotiations, with talks planned between the bloc's top trade negotiator and his American counterpart.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic's talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday afternoon came after Brussels said it was readying to pull the trigger on more than $100 billion in counter-tariffs should negotiations fail.
Bessent, who is among the top US officials engaging with its key trading partners, sounded an optimistic note on Bloomberg Television.
'Talks are going better than they had been,' he said. 'I think that we are making good progress with the EU.'
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