Leyen: The EU focuses on fair trade instead of tariffs and isolation

The trade agreement with Mercosur sends a clear signal that the EU is committed to fair trade over tariffs and partnership over isolation, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. The EU is also ready to sign an agreement with India called the “mother of all agreements”, she added.

During the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the head of the European Commission announced that the European Union will not stop at South America when it comes to trade agreements.

– Last year we concluded new agreements with Mexico, Indonesia and Switzerland. We are working on a new agreement with Australia. We are also making progress with the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries, she mentioned.

Von der Leyen said that the EU is one step away from concluding a historic trade agreement with India. – Some people call it the mother of all contracts. It will create a market of two billion people, accounting for almost a quarter of global GDP, she said.

She added that the trade agreement signed on Saturday with the Mercosur bloc of countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – sends an important signal to the world that “we choose fair trade over tariffs, partnership over isolation, sustainable development over exploitation.”

Leyen: The tariffs announced by the US are a mistake

The head of the European Commission assured that Europe shares the US goals when it comes to Arctic security, but emphasized that they can only be achieved together.

– Therefore, the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially in relations between long-time allies. The EU and the US concluded a trade agreement in July last year. In both politics and business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something, she emphasized.

– We consider the citizens of the United States not only allies, but also friends. Pushing us onto a dangerous slippery slope would only help our adversaries whom we so desperately want to keep at bay, she said.

Von der Leyen announced that the EC is working on a package supporting Arctic security, which includes, among others: increasing European investments in Greenland and strengthening the security of the region. – We should use the increase in defense spending for a European icebreaker and other equipment necessary for Arctic security – she emphasized.

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