Maroš Šefčovič

I was very pleased with the outcome of the visit of my two principal counterparts, Secretary Latnik and Ambassador Greer.

And I think we kind of reconfirmed also in front of our industry, because we had a meeting with CEOs that if it comes to steel and steel products, we are not each other's problem, because we export to each other really minimum amounts.

What unites us is that we really need to take care of all the capacities which are destroying, you know, the steel production in the US, but also in the EU.

And I explain again that we adopted this very far-reaching safeguards if it comes to the imports of steel from third countries to the EU, which are kind of very much reflecting the measures which the US has undertaken several months ago.

And therefore, I suggested again, let's go back

to the idea where we can kind of build this ring of friends where we would trade on MFN or zero levels and we will have the same, let's say, measures to take on the global oil capacities.

The situation as it stays right now is that I sent to Secretary Latinx the list of the codes where we believe that we can definitely lower the tariffs.

I understand there is some interest, especially from the

from the machinery, machinery sector, but we didn't proceed or haven't proceeded to the very concrete negotiations on this type.

So we're talking on the level of teams.

We are almost, I would say, in permanent contact with my counterparts.

And I think this would be good for both sides, because if America wants to reindustrialize, they need machines.

We produce the machines.

We are ready to send them the machines.

But of course, we need to find a solution on the derivatives.

I think that our regulation is adopted democratically by us through very thorough legislative process and therefore we are of course going to protect our tax sovereignty.

What I heard

from Secretary Lightning and Ambassador Greer was that they wanted to be treated fairly.

So we had a lot of discussions.

Are we aiming only at the US companies?