Italy's PM Meloni eyes EU tariff deal from Trump
Published: 07:04 PM,Apr 17,2025 | EDITED : 11:04 PM,Apr 17,2025
This combination of pictures created shows Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Donald Trump. — AFP
WASHINGTON: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni headed to meet Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, hoping a personal charm offensive can help convince the US president to cut the EU a better deal on tariffs. The far-right Meloni — described by Trump as a 'fantastic leader' who shares many of his conservative views — is the first European leader to meet with Trump since his trade war with the bloc began. Senior US officials said Meloni and Trump had a 'very special relationship,' adding she could be a bridge for a deal on tariffs between Europe and Washington.
'Hopefully the Prime Minister and the President will be able to advance the ball down the field,' one Trump administration official told reporters ahead of their meeting. 'We're open, we're available, we're ready to make deals for countries that take this seriously. So hopefully Italy and the EU are part of that.' Trump is, however, also expected to raise his demand for Nato allies to spend more on defence -- a huge demand for debt-laden Italy.
Meloni has looked to maintain ties with the mercurial leader despite the chaos caused by his tariffs. She has criticised as 'wrong' his 20 per cent duties on EU exports, which he later suspended for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty Meloni has called for cool heads, urging Brussels not to retaliate while casting herself as the only EU figure able to potentially de-escalate the conflict. Meloni was the only European leader to be invited to Trump's January 20 inauguration and US officials said she was 'eye-to-eye with President on a lot of issues like immigration on Ukraine.'
Meloni has said the goal should be to eliminate so-called reciprocal duties on existing industrial products as part of a 'zero for zero' formula, as floated by the European Commission earlier this month. Meloni's decision to personally intercede with Trump has caused some disquiet among EU allies, concerned her visit could undermine the unity of the bloc. 'If we start having bilateral discussions, obviously it will break the current dynamic,' France's Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned last week.
A European Commission spokeswoman said that while the EU alone could negotiate trade agreements, Meloni's 'outreach is very welcome' and was coordinated with Brussels. Following Thursday's meeting with Trump, Meloni will fly back to Rome on Friday in time to host JD Vance, with whom she has a meeting planned. Trump's threatened tariffs could have a major impact on Italy, the world's fourth-largest exporter, which sends around 10 per cent of its exports to the United States. — AFP
'Hopefully the Prime Minister and the President will be able to advance the ball down the field,' one Trump administration official told reporters ahead of their meeting. 'We're open, we're available, we're ready to make deals for countries that take this seriously. So hopefully Italy and the EU are part of that.' Trump is, however, also expected to raise his demand for Nato allies to spend more on defence -- a huge demand for debt-laden Italy.
Meloni has looked to maintain ties with the mercurial leader despite the chaos caused by his tariffs. She has criticised as 'wrong' his 20 per cent duties on EU exports, which he later suspended for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty Meloni has called for cool heads, urging Brussels not to retaliate while casting herself as the only EU figure able to potentially de-escalate the conflict. Meloni was the only European leader to be invited to Trump's January 20 inauguration and US officials said she was 'eye-to-eye with President on a lot of issues like immigration on Ukraine.'
Meloni has said the goal should be to eliminate so-called reciprocal duties on existing industrial products as part of a 'zero for zero' formula, as floated by the European Commission earlier this month. Meloni's decision to personally intercede with Trump has caused some disquiet among EU allies, concerned her visit could undermine the unity of the bloc. 'If we start having bilateral discussions, obviously it will break the current dynamic,' France's Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned last week.
A European Commission spokeswoman said that while the EU alone could negotiate trade agreements, Meloni's 'outreach is very welcome' and was coordinated with Brussels. Following Thursday's meeting with Trump, Meloni will fly back to Rome on Friday in time to host JD Vance, with whom she has a meeting planned. Trump's threatened tariffs could have a major impact on Italy, the world's fourth-largest exporter, which sends around 10 per cent of its exports to the United States. — AFP