Brussels: European Union Trade Commissioner Maro€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦¡ €š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦ efcovic confirmed on Tuesday that the bloc does not feel the need to conclude an unfair trade agreement with the United States, noting that other trading partners are keen to accelerate their talks with the EU. In a speech before the European Parliament, the European official emphasized the EU's stance, stating, "We do not feel weak... nor do we feel that we are under undue pressure to accept an agreement that will not be fair to us."

According to National Iraqi News Agency, €š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦ efcovic highlighted that the European Union will prepare countermeasures to the multiple US tariffs imposed by Washington on EU imports during the 90-day suspension period announced by President Donald Trump, with all options on the table. He noted that US tariffs now cover 70 percent of EU-US trade in goods, and may rise to 97 percent after further US reviews of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and other products.

€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬¦ efcovic further explained that a negotiated solution with the United States remains the clear and preferred outcome for the European Union, urging the US to demonstrate its willingness to make progress toward a fair and balanced solution. The EU Trade Commissioner indicated that the EU will use the suspension period until July 8 to prepare further rebalancing measures and ensure a level playing field if talks fail, stressing that "all options are still on the table."

The 27-member European Union faces US tariffs of 25 percent on steel, aluminum, and car imports, and "countermeasures" of 10 percent on virtually all other goods, which could rise to 20 percent after Trump's 90-day reprieve. In contrast, the European Union suspended its countermeasures on steel tariffs to allow for negotiations, but negotiations appear to have made only limited progress.