The French president and the German chancellor are making a final push to secure a permanent exemption for the European Union from the new US import tariffs for steel. Emmanuel Macron visited President Trump early this week, while Angela Merkel is set to travel to the US today.

The deadline for the cancellation temporary exemptions of 1 May is fast approaching. After that date the new US tariffs are set to be applied to all markets that have not agreed a permanent exemption. Europe was given a temporary exemption at the end of March, before the tariffs officially went into effect.

Earlier this week commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU’s trade chief, confirmed that the European authorities expect the two heads of state to push President Trump toward a permanent exemption for the EU. Nevertheless, major news agencies report that a senior German government official remains concerned about the tariffs and note that the imposition of permanent tariff on Europe was possible “... from today’s point of view”.

The European Union has started meanwhile an investigation into possible safeguard measures to protect the market from increasing steel imports resulting from the potential imposition of the new US tariffs, (see Kallanish passim).