Europe 'Trump was offered a zero tariff deal in February'

The EU has said it offered the US a "zero-for-zero" tariff deal on cars and industrial goods weeks before Donald Trump launched his trade war, but that it would "not wait endlessly" to defend itself.

- Jennifer Rankin Brussels Angela Giuffrida Rome

Maros Šefčovič, the EU commissioner for trade, said he had proposed zero tariffs on cars and a range of industrial goods, such as pharmaceutical products, rubber and machinery, during his first meeting with the US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, on 19 February. He said: "Right now we are in the early stages of discussions, because the US view tariffs not as a tactical step, but as a corrective measure."

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said the "zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods" offer remained on the table.

Trump has repeatedly railed against the trade deficit in goods with the EU, focusing on cars. "They don't take our cars, they don't take our food products, they don't take anything," he said again over the weekend.

But Šefčovič rejected suggestions EU countries would abandon VAT, one of Trump's grievances. He said EU officials had spent "some time and energy" explaining to their US counterparts how the sales tax works, citing its use in more than 161 countries. "We are ready to discuss, to look at things, but it has to be a mutually advantageous solution," he added.