EU says ‘fully invested' in Trump trade talks after US court ruling
The EU is 'fully invested' in reaching a deal with the United States to avoid sweeping tariffs, the bloc's trade chief said Friday, after US judges ruled the controversial measures were unconstitutional.
'Our time and effort fully invested, as delivering forward-looking solutions remains a top EU priority. Staying in permanent contact,' EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on X after a call Thursday with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Sefcovic did not comment on the court developments directly.
On Wednesday, the US Court of International Trade barred most of the tariffs announced since President Donald Trump took office. However, an appeals court the following day preserved his sweeping import duties on China and other trading partners. The short-term relief will now allow the appeals process to proceed.
Sefcovic has previously said he had calls with his US trade counterparts on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, as the two sides intensified talks following last week's tensions.
US President Donald Trump had threatened last Friday—then postponed—to hit EU goods with major tariffs, voicing frustration that negotiations with the EU were 'going nowhere.'
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In Saturday's comprehensive report, the IAEA says that the 'lack of answers and clarifications provided by Iran" to questions the watchdog had regarding Lavisan-Shian, Varamin and Marivan "has led the agency to conclude that these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material.' What's next? Saturday's comprehensive report could be a basis for possible further steps by European nations, leading to a potential escalation in tensions between Iran and the West. European countries could move to trigger snap-back sanctions against Iran that were lifted under the original 2015 nuclear deal ahead of October, when the deal formally expires. On Thursday, senior Iranian officials dismissed speculation about an imminent nuclear deal with the United States, emphasizing that any agreement must fully lift sanctions and allow the country's nuclear program to continue. The comments came a day after Trump said he has told Netanyahu to hold off on striking Iran to give the US administration more time to push for a new deal with Tehran. Trump said on Friday that he still thinks a deal could be completed in the 'not too distant future.' 'They don't want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal,' Trump said of Iran. He added, 'That would be a great thing that we could have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East.'
