Trump calls for EU to drop all trade barriers ahead of official’s visit

President Trump suggested on Tuesday that the U.S. and European Union (EU) “drop all Tariffs, Barriers and Subsidies” after his administration imposed tariffs on EU imports.

“That would finally be called Free Market and Fair Trade! Hope they do it, we are ready – but they won’t!” Trump tweeted. 

The European Union is coming to Washington tomorrow to negotiate a deal on Trade. I have an idea for them. Both the U.S. and the E.U. drop all Tariffs, Barriers and Subsidies! That would finally be called Free Market and Fair Trade! Hope they do it, we are ready – but they won’t!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2018

The president sent the tweet a day before European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is set to meet with Trump at the White House.

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Trump slapped steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from several U.S. allies earlier this year, including the EU.

The EU retaliated by implementing tariffs on several American products, including motorcycles, blue jeans and whiskey.

Trump has also threatened to impose a 20 percent tariff on all European automobile imports, which the European Commission has warned would “be harmful first and foremost for the US economy.”

The president called the EU “a foe” over its trade policies during an interview earlier this month and praised tariffs in a tweet early Tuesday, declaring that “tariffs are the greatest!”

Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on Trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs. It’s as simple as that – and everybody’s talking! Remember, we are the “piggy bank” that’s being robbed. All will be Great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2018

The European official’s visit comes after Trump’s visit to the NATO summit in Belgium earlier this month, after which Trump questioned whether the U.S. should have to defend all NATO member states.