Minister Altmaier: “We are building a new bridge for transatlantic trade.”

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EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström today presented the draft negotiating mandates for a trade agreement on the removal of tariffs on industrial goods and for an agreement on conformity assessment with the United States. The mandates are the next step to implement the Joint Statement agreed by President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and U.S. President Donald Trump on 25 July 2018. In this political declaration, the EU and the U.S. agreed to eliminate tariffs for industrial goods.

Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier said: “I welcome the fact that the European Commission today presented the draft mandates for the negotiations with the U.S. on the removal of tariffs on industrial goods and on conformity assessment. As soon as the Council agrees to the mandates, the negotiations can start. We will then talk with our American friends about the removal of specific unnecessary tariffs on industrial goods. The aim is to remove barriers and build a new bridge for transatlantic trade.”

The draft mandates still need to be endorsed by the Council before the European Commission can start specific negotiations. The U.S. Administration had already published details of the negotiation objectives for talks with the EU on 11 January.