Kuwait city: European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic announced on Monday his intention to travel to Washington tomorrow as part of intensive efforts to conclude a trade agreement with the US administration ahead of the July 9 deadline. The EU official indicated that he has held "intense" and "very intense" discussions with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Sefcovic expressed hope to meet US officials in Washington, DC later this week, acknowledging the upcoming Fourth of July holiday on Friday. He mentioned that Wednesday and Thursday have been earmarked for potential meetings, with plans currently underway. A technical EU team is already present in Washington to coordinate on the initial draft of the prospective agreement.
Sefcovic also noted that the EU Commission has received "first drafts of the proposals for the eventual agreement in principle". The deadline for negotiations is set for next Wednesday, and if no agreement is reached by then, Washington is expected to impose double tariffs on most EU imports.