The United States and European Union could still negotiate a trade deal even if Washington imposes import tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.
EU leaders had agreed earlier in May to open discussions about market access for US products, but only if Washington grants the EU a permanent exemption from tariffs. The EU now has a temporary exemption, which expires on June 1, 2018.
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that the EU had shown limited interest in serious trade negotiations with the United States until a threat of tariffs. The 28-member bloc shelved talks towards an ambitious EU-US trade deal known as TTIP after Donald Trump's presidential election victory in 2016.
Dutch Trade Minister Sigrid Kaag, on the same panel, said EU countries agreed that US trade measures designed to protect national security simply should not apply to them and they did not feel they should negotiate, even if China did.
