Then the United States President, Donald Trump and the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in Mar-Aago, in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 4, 2025.
Italian government | Atmosphere
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, will meet on Thursday United States President Donald Trump, in the midst of the tense of defeat with the European Union on rates.
Meloni’s visit to Washington has made her the first European leader to meet with the President since he announced rates to European imports earlier this month.
Trump is a fan of Meloni, the leader of the Populist Party of the right of Italy, who has increased in prominence with a tide of other populist parties similar to Europe. He described her as a « fantastic woman » who was « really taking Europe for storm » when they met at Mar-Alago in January.
But this speed and diplomatic skills of Meloni) will be tested on Thursday, as leaders are in the midst of wider concerns of the complete trade war between the United States and the Bloc.
In early April, Trump announced a « reciprocal » rate of 20% over all EU imported assets as part of its extensive world commercial rate policy. It has since reduced the duty to 10% for 90 days, allowing negotiations to try to find a trade agreement.
In turn, the EU stopped its 25% retaliation rates for 21 billion euros ($ 23.8 billion) of North -American exports. The President of the European Commission, USULA von der Leyen commented last week The EU wants to « give the negotiations an opportunity », but that the conversations are not satisfactory, the EU countermen will begin.
The EU will carefully see Meloni’s meeting with Trump, hoping that he can help talk to find a commitment to resolve what Trump sees as an unfair and unbalanced commercial relationship due to the EU’s persistent commercial surplus with the United States.
Meloni has been described as a thing of « Trump Whisperer » Who could adapt the position of the United States leader when trading with the EU. The moniker won after Trump visibly enjoyed a five-hour meeting with her at her complex Mar-Alago in Florida in January. On April 18, it is also due to the Vice President JD Vance in Rome.
Thursday’s meeting « is a key opportunity to demonstrate both his proximity to President Donald Trump and his potential role as a credible interlocutor capable of revitalizing transatlantic dialogue, » said Wolfango Piccoli, co -chair of Risk Consulting Teneo, said in e -mail analysis.
« However, despite having pursued this visit even before the period » Liberation Day « (the name of North -American officials gave the day to world rates on April 2), worries grow that they could be incorporated, especially given the recent Trump treatment of several foreign leaders, » added the analyst.
« One of the main challenges of this visit is to show that Meloni acts as a mediator on behalf of the whole EU, not only in defense of Italian interests. »
United States President Donald Trump meets with the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in Mar-Aago, in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 4, 2025.
Italian government | Atmosphere
Export oriented Italy, the third economy in the euro area, could benefit a lot from a UE-EUA trade agreement, as I would not want to lose a lucrative market for its best exports to the states. Machinery and medical products are included, as well as cars, clothes and food and drink. Problematically for Trump Administration, however, Rome recorded a $ 43.9 billion commercial surplus with the United States in 2024, US data show.
When 20% Trump’s rates were announced in EU imports, Meloni was among the leaders, lamenting the decision, saying he was « wrong » but urged his European counterparts to try to avoid a trade war.
« The fares are wrong and not in the interest of any of the parties, » Meloni said, saying that Italy « would do his best to work with an agreement with the United States, in order to avoid a trade war that inevitably weakened West in favor of other world players. »
Meloni had also warned that Italian food and beverage exports could be affected by rates, saying that « Italian agro-food products are demanding worldwide, from course, with Europe. »
« It must be remembered that the United States is the second largest destination market, and exports increased by 17% by 2024. The United States market is essential for us. »
Piccoli de Teneo said that Meloni’s prudent response to United States’ rates was also promoted by his belief that the highest risks for the Italian economy are not in their own rates, especially because they are currently applied in a small way, « but in the possible consequences of a complete trade war that involved retaliation rates or a disassociation in the United States of the United States of the United States. »
« These scenarios could significantly affect Italian public finances. Current estimates suggest that rates could reduce Italian exports by 0.3% to 0.5% of GDP, although the actual effect is less due to the limited passage effect; many Italian exports are premium or niche products, which makes it difficult to replace them in the short term. »
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