European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday that the European Union (EU) will not accept threats in its talks with the US about securing a permanent exemption from US import tariffs on steel and aluminum.
US President Donald Trump has extended a temporary exemption for the EU until June 1, although EU officials have said it is not clear what Washington wants.
“I would like to reiterate the call that this exemption be made unconditional and permanent. We consider that the US measures cannot be justified on the basis of national security,” Juncker told the European Parliament.
“We will continue our negotiations with the US, but we refuse to negotiate under threat,” Juncker said, while presenting the future EU budget plan.
