E.U. ‘Ready To Negotiate’ With Trump, Offers ‘Zero-For-Zero Tariffs On Industrial Goods’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that the European Union wants to negotiate tariffs with President Donald Trump and has already offered the United States “zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods.”

The Trump administration hit the E.U. with a 20% tax when the president unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs on countries around the globe. The tariff on E.U. imports is set to go into effect on Wednesday, but European leaders hope to strike a deal to avoid the hefty tax.

“Europe is ready to negotiate with the US. We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods because we’re always ready for a good deal,” von der Leyen said. “But we’re also prepared to respond with countermeasures. And protect ourselves against indirect effects through trade diversion.”

The 20% tariff on E.U. imports is on top of a 25% tariff on European steel and aluminum that Trump imposed last month, which affects around $28 billion worth of goods. In response to Trump’s tariffs, the E.U. has slapped taxes on American meat, dairy, and alcohol, among other products. The E.U.’s tariffs on American imports began on April 1 and are set to go into full effect on April 13.

In a fact sheet on Trump’s tariffs, the White House called out the E.U. for imposing a steep tariff on American vehicle imports. The White House wrote, “For example, the United States imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on passenger vehicle imports (with internal combustion engines), while the European Union (10 percent), India (70 percent), and China (15 percent) impose much higher duties on the same product.”

E.U. representatives from 27 bloc countries are preparing to vote on additional retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods on Wednesday. E.U. Trade Minister Maros Sefcovic said that European leaders “are fully prepared to sit at the negotiation table whenever our American partners are ready,” adding, “While the E.U. remains open to and strongly prefers negotiations, we will not wait endlessly. We are prepared to use every tool in our trade defense arsenal.”