Orbán cabinet called on the EC to start negotiations with the US about cooperation on tariff policy

Brussels made ‘grave mistakes’ concerning tariff policy cooperation with US Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday called on the European Commission to start negotiations with the US about cooperation on tariff policy.

The foreign ministry cited Szijjártó telling a joint press conference with Peter Ziga, Deputy Speaker of Slovakia’s National Council, concerning cooperation between the EU and the US that “it has been proven once again that unqualified people lead European institutions in Brussels”.

“Unqualified people who suffer from very serious Trump phobia. Only these two factors can explain how they could mess up so badly again. How they could also mess up tariff policy cooperation this badly,” he said. He said Brussels’s “grave mistake once again resulted in some very serious challenges for the European economy”. Szijjártó said that the EU should have entered into talks with the US and car industry tariffs should have been reduced.

“Europe imposes a 10 percent tariff on the US car industry and the US applies 2.5 percent against Europe,” he said. “What should have been done? European tariffs should have been reduced to 2.5 percent against the US, and so a negotiating position would have been established, talks could have been started, and the overseas decision that could result in the introduction of higher tariffs would not have been made.”

“Slovakia and Hungary are two countries that are centres of the European car industry. Two countries where the car industry plays an important role,” Szijjártó added.

“We resolutely call on the European Commission to get their act together and enter into talks with the US, discuss cooperation on tariffs, because if they go on like this, it will be another blow for the European economy,” he said.

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