BRUSSELS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- As the June 1 deadline drawn by U.S. President Donald Trump approaches, the European Union (EU) leaders reaffirmed their united front in their trade talks with Washington in the just-concluded EU-Western Balkans summit held Thursday in Sofia.
"We will not negotiate with the Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads," said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during the summit.
"We want an unlimited exemption from the proposed tariff measures. If Europe obtains an unlimited exemption from the proposed tariff measures, we are ready to engage in talks with our transatlantic partner," he added, according to a press release from the union.
If Europe obtains the unlimited exemption, said Junker, the two sides could focus on deepening energy cooperation, voluntary cooperation between regulators on both sides on an ad hoc basis, working together with the U.S. on the World Trade Organization reform, and discussing how to best improve reciprocal market access, in the ongoing trade talks.
"We have achieved a united approach that will strengthen the Commission in its ongoing negotiations with the United States. The EU is even ready to talk about trade liberalization with our American friends but only if the U.S. decides an unlimited exemption from steel and aluminum tariffs," Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, told reporters in his concluding remarks for the summit.
Prior to the summit, Tusk on Wednesday called America administration as capricious assertive.
"Looking at the latest decisions of President Trump someone could even think: with friends like that who needs enemies," he told reporters, calling on Europe to be grateful to him "because thanks to him we have got rid of all illusions."
"He has made us realize that if you need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of your arm...what we need is more political unity and determination," said the president.
For Maria Demertzis, deputy director of the Brussels- based economic think tank Brugel, the EU must respond decisively to the U.S. threat of trade sanctions, not just to protect its own interests but those of the multilateral trading system, and to demonstrate to the U.S. and other partners that trade is not a zero-sum game.
"We might not want to sing to Trump's tune, but we should sing to our own," said Demertzis in an article published on Brugel's website on Thursday.
She further gave a three-pronged proposal for the EU in the article.
"First, be prepared to act. Adopting measures that can impact the U.S. economic interests in Europe need to be prepared, and in place to be used."
Second, EU "need to establish that trade is a win-win, and therefore also a lose-lose game. This should force the U.S. to reconsider how much it loses and readjust," she added.
Third, as a defender of the multilateral system, the EU should try to protect and maintain open trade with the rest of the world and remain consistent with the role of defending free and open trade, said Demertzis.
The White House on April 30 extended its steel and aluminum tariff exemption for EU members till June 1, giving "a final 30 days" for them to reach agreements over trade negotiations.
Since Trump announced the planned tariff-hike in early March, the EU has been fighting for a permanent exemption.
In 2017, the 28-nation bloc exported 5.99 billion U.S. dollars worth of steel products to the United States, and 1.25 billion dollars of aluminum, making it the top exporter of steel to the United States and the fifth largest aluminum exporter.