Ross Says Progress of Trade Talks With EU Is Unsatisfactory
October 17 2018 - 12:33PM
Dow Jones News
By Emre Peker
BRUSSELS -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Wednesday
that President Trump wants quick results from trade talks with the
European Union and warned that progress was unsatisfactory.
"We really need tangible progress, our president's patience is
not unlimited," Mr. Ross said during a press briefing in Brussels,
a day after meeting European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom
in the EU's capital.
The critique by a top White House official raises the risk of
U.S. tariffs on European car exporters, less than three months
after Mr. Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker agreed to slash tariffs and regulatory barriers to
trade.
Mr. Ross also criticized Ms. Malmstrom for saying the U.S. was
delaying negotiations on the framework for a trade deal and not
showing any interest. The U.S. envoy to the EU, Gordon Sondland,
who accompanied Mr. Ross at his meetings in Brussels, said it was
the EU that was slowing down progress.
"They're not moving at all because of the complete intransigence
by her team in engaging in any meaningful way on any of the issues
we discussed, " Mr. Sondland said.
Write to Emre Peker at emre.peker@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 17, 2018 12:18 ET (16:18 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.