It came as the US president said he would announce reciprocal tariffs on many countries next week, adding the additional levies could help shrink America’s budget deficit.
The EU is poised to offer lower tariffs on US car imports amid threats from Donald Trump that he is ready to ramp up a global trade war.
Mr Trump’s move would fulfill a Trump campaign promise to impose tariffs on American imports equal to the rates that trading partners impose on American exports.
Bernd Lange, chairman of the international trade committee in the European Parliament, told the FT that Europe was willing to cut its 10pc tariff on American cars to closer to the 2.5pc charged by the US on equivalent imports from Brussels.
He added that the EU would offer to buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) and defence kit from the US “plus also look to lower tariffs for cars”.
