China News Service, October 14 According to a Reuters report on the 13th, a source familiar with the negotiations pointed out that the United States believes there is hope to resolve the trade dispute with the EU on steel and aluminum tariffs by the end of October.
According to reports, US Trade Representative Dai Qi met with the European Commission’s Vice-President of Trade and Digital Affairs Don Brovskis on October 12.
East Brovskis told a Washington think tank last month that he was "cautiously optimistic" about reaching an agreement.
According to the report, a source familiar with the negotiations but who declined to be named said: "We think there is hope to reach an agreement by the end of this month."
In addition, sources in the steel industry said that Dai Qi and the EU may reach an agreement to replace Clause 232 with a tariff quota (TRQ) agreement.
If the talks are reached, the United States will allow a certain amount of EU steel imports to be tax-free, and higher amounts will be taxed.
The source said that the negotiations were "going smoothly", but would not say whether an agreement can be reached before October 31.
Spokespeople for the US Trade Representative’s Office and the European Union declined to comment.
The US Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to reporters' questions.
On June 1, 2018, the then Trump administration of the United States began to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum products exported from the European Union to the United States on the grounds of "maintaining national security."