Pompeo Says US Would Prefer No Barriers In Trade With EU

The United States would prefer the absence of any barriers to trade with European countries, but it should be structured in such a way that both sides could build wealth, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2019) The United States would prefer the absence of any barriers to trade with European countries, but it should be structured in such a way that both sides could build wealth, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

"Yes, we wish you [European countries] would not impose tariffs on us. Yes, we concur, absolutely," Pompeo said while answering a relevant question at the Koerber Foundation in Berlin.

He recalled that US President Donald Trump advocated that ideally, there would be no tariff or non-tariff barriers in US-EU trade.

"We want to increase trade with Europe, we want to increase trade with India, but we want it to be conducted in a way that is consistent with the history of free trade around the world, where we join together, and we do not try to protect our own industries, we compete freely and fairly.

Sometimes, European businesses will be more successful than American businesses � so be it. Sometimes, American companies will be more successful," Pompeo said.

However, he added that when it comes to the trade interaction of sovereign countries, the idea is that trade should be fair, free and based on a mutual approach, with minimal disagreement, and should ensure competition so that each of the peoples can build wealth.

Under the Trump administration, the US has been actively entering into tariff conflicts with other countries of the world. China is currently the main adversary, but Washington has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of trade with EU countries.