ROME — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who has positioned herself as a “bridge” between the trump administration and Europe, welcomed news of the tariff agreement as a “positive” outcome that avoided an “unpredictable and potentially devastating” trade war.
But in comments to reporters on the sidelines of a U.N. food security conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia she said details still needed to be both studied and worked out and that she still is unclear on exemptions for particular industries, such as pharmaceuticals and autos.
But she said a tariff base of 15% that includes previous duties, rather than a possible 10% agreement that was added onto previous duties, was a “sustainable basis” to negotiate further.
“I obviously judge positively that an agreement was reached. I always thought, I continue to think that a trade escalation between Europe and the United States would have unpredictable, potentially devastating consequences,” she said.
Meloni said she needed to understand what the exemptions might be, including on agricultural products which are of particular concern to Italy, given its wine exports in particular. She noted that the deal in its current form is juridically non-binding in principle, “so there is still, let’s say, room to fight.”
Earlier, in an official statement, Meloni and her top deputies said the government welcomed the deal as guaranteeing stability for US-EU economic relations.
“We consider the basis of the agreement on duties at 15% to be sustainable, especially if this percentage includes and does not add previous duties, as was originally planned,” the statement said.
Any division in the West “would make us all weaker and more exposed to global challenges,” it said.
