EU trade chief meets Greer
- EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is set to meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Tuesday, May 5, before G7 trade talks. - The flashpoint is cars — Washington is threatening 25% tariffs on EU autos while the older Turnberry deal still leaves a 10% interim tariff. - That makes this a trust test, not just a meeting — Brussels says parts of last year’s bargain still haven’t been carried out.
Trade policy is the thing here, but the real story is trust. The EU and the U.S. already struck a political bargain last year at Turnberry in Scotland. It was supposed to calm a tariff fight. Instead, both sides are still arguing over what exactly was promised, what was temporary, and what Washington might hit next. That is why Maroš Šefčovič and Jamieson Greer meeting in Paris on Tuesday, May 5 matters more than a routine diplomatic sit-down. (politico.eu) ### Why is this meeting happening now? Because tariff tensions are climbing again. Šefčovič — the European Commission’s trade chief — will meet Greer, the U.S. trade representative, on the eve of a G7 trade ministers’ gathering in Paris. The immediate trigger is Washington’s latest threat to slap steep tariffs on European cars, which would hit Germany hardest but would ripple across the bloc’s supply chains. (politico.eu) ### What is the Turnberry deal? Basically, it was a political truce struck in 2025 at Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort. The framework was sold as a “reciprocal, fair and balanced” trade arrangement. In practice, it locked in a U.S. tariff structure on EU goods while the EU moved tow(politico.eu) (policy.trade.ec.europa.eu) ### Why are cars such a big deal? Because autos are where the pain gets concentrated fast. A 25% U.S. tariff on EU cars is not some abstract negotiating chip — it lands directly on one of Europe’s most politically sensitive export industries. Germany (policy.trade.ec.europa.eu)d at Berlin would not stay in Berlin. (politico.eu) ### Didn’t the tariff issue get settled already? Not really. One reason this is messy is that the legal and political ground shifted after the Turnberry understanding. Politico’s recent reporting says the original deal set a 15% tariff ceiling for most EU exports, but a 10% U.S. interim(politico.eu)on keeps talking as if it can reopen the pressure campaign whenever it wants. (politico.eu) ### What is Brussels worried about? That the U.S. wants the benefits of the deal without the discipline of the deal. Šefčovič has been saying the agreement should not be “overloaded” with extra demands and that both sides need to “respect the bargain.” That is diplomatic language, but the meaning is simple — if Washington threaten(politico.eu)arts to look less like a settlement and more like rolling leverage. (politico.eu) ### Why does the timing matter? Because Europe is still finishing its own side of the process. The European Parliament backed the deal with conditions in March, and EU institutions are still working through implementing legislation. So this Paris meeting lands in the middle of a fragile ratification phase. If the U.S. escalates now, it gives critics in Brussels a stronger case for slowing or reshaping the package. (euronews.com) ### What should we watch next? Watch for two things — whether the U.S. softens the car-tariff threat, and whether both sides start talking less about “offers” and more about executing the existing framework. If that shift happens, Paris was useful. If not, the Turnberry deal starts looking less like a foundation and more like a ceasefire that never really held. (politico.eu)
