According to information to the news site Politico Europe, the offer from the USA is expected to include exceptions for, among other things, aircraft and alcohol.
–Offer is not a word I would use for this, says Finance Minister Svantesson about the information, on her way to a meeting with her EU colleagues in Brussels.
She seems to expect that Sweden and other EU countries will have to count on a customs duty of ten percent.
–It is the Commission that is driving this, but now I think we just have to resign ourselves to the fact that at least ten percent is what we will have. Do I think it's good? No, it's really bad. But we must know what applies, says Svantesson.
Want to speed up
The details of the offer are still unclear, as is whether a deadline will be offered or not. It is precisely this uncertainty that Svantesson strongly dislikes.
–That's why I think we should speed up the process, because if we don't know what applies in the future, it creates this uncertainty and holds back the Swedish economy.
She is, however, not in favor of the EU accepting just anything, just to get a quick clarification.
–We stand behind being tough on the USA. We can't stand with our hat in our hand and thank and accept an "offer" of a ten percent customs duty. Even if Sweden is a free trade country and wants free trade, the USA can't dictate and control this in the way they do, says the Finance Minister.
Tough and straightforward
The EU Commission said as recently as Monday that it is still striving for an agreement by July 9, when the regular deadline expires.
–Exactly how we will respond together, we will take together. But I want the Commission to be tougher and more straightforward because it is needed. We can't drag this out indefinitely, says Elisabeth Svantesson in Brussels.
