A tariff war will be a burden not only for European companies and citizens, but also for American companies and citizens. Therefore, it should be avoided. This is what Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) says at a press conference in the European Parliament.
- We must do what we can to avoid a tariff war. The negotiations are in a sensitive phase right now, because we have a deadline. That is why I have nothing more to add now, says Mette Frederiksen.
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump signed a decree that postpones a deadline for when higher tariffs against a number of countries will come into effect. The original deadline was July 9. It has now been postponed until August 1.
This gives the EU Commission a few more weeks to negotiate before Trump - perhaps or perhaps not - imposes additional tariffs on European goods.
While the uncertainty is particularly worrying for companies, some European heads of state and government have begun to push for the EU Commission to pursue a quick agreement. Even if it is limited to a few, but important sectors.
This view has been put forward in particular by Germany's Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, ahead of the latest deadline of July 9.
However, Mette Frederiksen does not want to go into whether she would prefer a quick, but perhaps worse agreement - or whether she wants the EU to take on Trump now in an attempt to get the best possible agreement with the American president.
- We are now the presidency country, and this must be balanced, says Mette Frederiksen.
She refers to the fact that Denmark took over the presidency of the EU from July 1. Thus, it is Denmark's role to find compromises among the EU countries, and that work could be made more difficult if the Danish government makes very sharp statements in various policy areas.
Will focus on unity
Instead, Mette Frederiksen will focus on where the EU countries stand together:
- There is agreement on the European side that a trade war is a bad idea. I would like to repeat that today. No one gets richer from it. And since we are allies across the Atlantic, we should stand together rather than do the opposite. So my recommendation is clear that no tariffs or trade wars are on the table, says Mette Frederiksen.
She emphasizes that she is particularly cautious now that the negotiations are entering the decisive phase.
- We are of course trying to support the EU Commission in getting as good a result as possible, says Mette Frederiksen.
At the EU summit at the end of June, Mette Frederiksen stated, however, that the EU cannot sit back passively if Trump's tariff break expires without an agreement:
- My temperament is that if the US insists, we must respond in kind, said Mette Frederiksen at the summit in June.
DI hopes that the EU Commission will succeed in getting a good agreement in place for the benefit of European companies:
- The EU should not shake hands. Our goal must continue to be to end up as close to zero tariffs as possible. The EU has a strong negotiating position. We are an economic giant when we stand together, and we must exploit that, says Peter Thagesen, head of geopolitics at the Confederation of Danish Industry.
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