INTERNATIONAL
EU did not receive US letter demanding best offer in trade talks - source


Filepic shows US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020. -REUTERS
BRUSSELS: The European Union did not receive a letter from the United States in which President Donald Trump's administration made a demand for countries to submit their best offer on trade negotiations by Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the talks.
AI Brief
Following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump restored a July 9 deadline to allow for talks between Washington and Brussels to continue.
It was not immediately clear whether the letter, a draft seen by Reuters, had yet been sent to negotiating partners.
A European Commission spokesperson declined to provide details about documents and offers exchanged between the EU and the US in their trade talks.
"What we can say is that following the recent call between Presidents von der Leyen and Trump, both sides agreed to accelerate the pace of talks," the spokesperson said, pointing to talks this week with the technical teams in Washington and an upcoming meeting between EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer in Paris.
ALSO READ - US pushes countries for best offers by Wednesday as tariff deadline looms
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AI Brief
- Trump reinstated a July 9 deadline to give US-EU trade talks more time.
- Both sides agreed to accelerate negotiations after a call with EU President von der Leyen.
- EU and US officials are holding technical talks in Washington and planning high-level meetings in Paris.
Following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump restored a July 9 deadline to allow for talks between Washington and Brussels to continue.
It was not immediately clear whether the letter, a draft seen by Reuters, had yet been sent to negotiating partners.
A European Commission spokesperson declined to provide details about documents and offers exchanged between the EU and the US in their trade talks.
"What we can say is that following the recent call between Presidents von der Leyen and Trump, both sides agreed to accelerate the pace of talks," the spokesperson said, pointing to talks this week with the technical teams in Washington and an upcoming meeting between EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer in Paris.
ALSO READ - US pushes countries for best offers by Wednesday as tariff deadline looms
