MNI BRIEF: EU Trade Chief To Meet With US Officials Friday

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic will hold talks with his US counterparts on Friday as the bloc continues its efforts to try and negotiate a solution with the US, a European Commission official said Thursday.

The official added that Brussels would seek to find a solution with the US which results in reciprocal reductions in tariffs rather than reciprocal increases as has been the case so far. In regards to possible retaliation, the official said that "all options are on the table", including the EU's anti-coercion instrument, which could be used to target the US services sector. (see MNI: EU Liberation Day Retaliation May Take Time - EU Source )

The EU would increase its surveillance of any trade diversion as a result of the tariffs announced by the Trump administration since January and would deploy its trade safeguard tools to protect industries which might be hit by a sudden surge in diverted imports from third countries.