Trump Rejects European Union’s ‘Zero-For-Zero’ Tariff Resolution to Remove Industrial Fees on Us Goods: ‘Not Looking at That’

President Trump turned down a proposal by the European Union Monday for a “zero-for-zero” tariff scheme on industrial products, saying the offer was “not” enough to reverse 20% duties on imports.

“The EU has been very tough over the years,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the offer. “It was formed to really do damage to the United States in trade.”

“They don’t take our cars, like Japan in that sense. They don’t take our agricultural product; they don’t take anything practically,” he went on.

“We have a [trade] deficit with the European Union of $350 billion — and it’s going to disappear fast,” he added. “And one of the ways that that can disappear easily and quickly is they’re going to have to buy our energy from us.”

Asked elsewhere about whether the global tariffs imposed Saturday were merely an opening for further negotiations, Trump responded: “We’re not looking at that.” (Read more from “Trump Rejects European Union’s ‘Zero-For-Zero’ Tariff Resolution to Remove Industrial Fees on Us Goods: ‘Not Looking at That’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr