In 2023, the U.S. goods trade deficit with the bloc was €156.6 billion, according to European Union data. In services however, the U.S. had a surplus of €108.6 billion, bringing the overall trade balance to €48 billion, in favor of the EU.
Sikorski’s comments offer a glimpse of how the EU plans to deflect or defuse Trump’s threat of starting a trade war with the bloc. As top EU officials gathered in Warsaw, the U.S. president said he would “definitely” follow his tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico with tariffs on the EU though he has yet to make any announcement.
The European Commission, which manages trade for the bloc, has said it would hit back if Trump imposes tariffs. One EU official, who was granted anonymity to discuss confidential plans, said the bloc has drawn up a list of entities to retaliate against should Trump impose tariffs.
But there’s hope in Brussels that a trade war can be mitigated or avoided altogether if the bloc can offer Trump a favorable “deal” similar to the ones he’s accepted from Canada and Mexico in exchange for withdrawing 25 percent tariffs against both countries. A key proposal spelled out by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is that Europe could buy more liquefied natural gas from the U.S.
The same EU official said that one option currently under consideration in Brussels is for the EU to subsidize purchases of LNG for countries that currently rely on Russian gas, paying them any difference in price to switch to a U.S. supplier.
Sikorski, who’s one of few EU officials to have direct high-level contact with the U.S. administration, underscored that Poland was already buying a “huge amount” of U.S. LNG, and said it’s ultimately up to Europe to “gain credibility” with Trump by spending more on defense and managing security in Africa without relying on Washington.
