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The US is pressing the EU to publicly commit to a detailed plan to roll back import rules and regulations disliked by Washington one year after striking a trade deal to reduce tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.
Brussels and Washington concluded a broad trade agreement last August under which the EU cut duties on industrial goods and some farm products, while the US lowered tariffs on many EU goods, including cars, to 15 per cent.
But the two sides also said they would “work together to reduce or eliminate” other “non-tariff barriers”.
According to three people familiar with the negotiations, the US sent a proposal to European officials in recent weeks outlining public commitments it would like Brussels to make to mark one year since the deal was struck. Washington has long complained about EU rules in areas such as car safety and regulations on food and agricultural products.
EU officials, however, appeared unenthusiastic about making such pledges. A senior European Commission official said that there were constant talks with the US on the trade relationship, but that the Commission did not anticipate signing a document with future commitments.
“We are looking to mark the one-year anniversary by showing how far we have come,” they said.
The Commission confirmed to the European parliament this week that it had sent the US a new list of suggested tariff reductions on EU goods, including wine and spirits, some cheeses and machinery.
It covers €115bn in annual EU exports to the US, according to officials.
The US move underscores the continued pressure being put on trading partners by Washington, even as Trump has been forced to back away from the highest levels of tariffs by US courts and worsening affordability ahead of midterm elections.
Both sides have now implemented the agreed tariff reductions, but the US has frequently complained that Brussels has moved too slowly to unwind rules and regulations affecting American goods.
Last November, US trade representative Jamieson Greer told the FT that the deal struck in Turnberry did “not solve every problem” in the US-EU relationship.
The US trade representative’s office declined to comment.
Last year’s statement announcing the US and EU’s framework trade agreement included numerous pledges to improve market access.
The two sides said that on cars, they “intend to accept and provide mutual recognition to each other’s standards”.
Trump has previously accused the EU of coming “up with rules and regulations that are just designed for one reason — that you can’t sell your product in those countries”.
Washington officials point out that the EU has the largest trade deficit in goods of any trading bloc with the US, €198bn last year, while the EU points to the US’s €178bn surplus in services.
The European Commission said: “The EU is committed to full implementation of its commitments under the EU-US joint statement, as evidenced by the recent entry into force of the commitment to eliminate tariffs on imports of US industrial goods.
“Work continues, in line with the joint statement, to further improve market access on both sides.”
