President Trump is threatening to revoke his tariff pause and introduce 50-percent tariffs on goods from the EU as of June 1, since the discussions with the union are "not leading anywhere". From an American perspective, the EU is blamed for slow pace and bad proposals.
That description is not bought by Dousa.
Not at all. On the contrary, the interest from the USA's side has been very lukewarm, he says.
Carrot and stick
He says that the EU is waving both carrot and stick in the discussions. Lowered tariffs if the USA also does it – and countermeasures if the USA raises tariffs.
We are a very, very large economy that has very strong muscles. And Sweden as a country – one can feel safe as a Swede – has public finances in world-class, says Dousa.
He believes that the Trump administration's unpredictability, with "new outbursts every other day", has already led to an economic price and that Swedish business actors are hesitant when it comes to large investments due to uncertainty.
Diversifying trade
To counteract a potential economic downturn if the USA makes its threat a reality, the government is working on landing several free trade agreements with Indonesia, Mexico, and India.
It will of course not be able to compensate for the potential loss that occurs due to USA trade. But it is a way to at least diversify our trade, says Dousa.
The EU's trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic will speak with the USA's trade representative Jamieson Greer during the afternoon, according to an EU source for TT.
No comments from the EU Commission beforehand.
