MNI BRIEF: EU Says Trade Talks Need Additional U.S. Engagement

EU-U.S. trade talks this week amounted to a "scoping exercise", but need additional engagement from the U.S. side to make progress, European Commission Trade Spokesperson Olof Gill said on Tuesday.

Gill reiterated the European Union's offer of zero-for-zero tariffs on all industrial goods, including cars, and added that a range of additional areas could be explored. Commission spokespersons have ruled out concessions on food standards or digital services regulation.

"Now we expect to start talking meaningfully and in detail, getting down to brass tacks about what these different deals might look like ... but we would need additional engagement from the U.S.," Gill said. “We are only in day two of our 90-day window, so let's give it a bit of time." (See MNI: EU To Keep China Option In Reserve As Seeks US Deal)