Trump to meet with team to discuss European auto tariffs: Report

Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images

President Donald J. Trump and Jean-Claude Juncker President of the European Commission walk out for a joint statement about how the US will work with the European Union to try and eliminate trade tariffs, in the Rose Garden of the White House on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump plans to meet with his trade team on Tuesday to discuss a draft report on European auto tariffs, according to Bloomberg News, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Trump’s focus remains on crushing foreign automakers with heavy tariffs, according to an Axios report earlier on Monday. The president reportedly sees the threat of auto tariffs as a successful negotiating tactic. Trump used the auto tariffs threat when he negotiated with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this year.

“Trump says gleefully that the moment he started talking about maybe tariffs on cars, that [European Commission President Jean-Claude] Juncker got on the fastest plane known to mankind, comes straight over to Washington and starts offering deals,” a senior European official told Axios.

General Motors shares turned negative after the report, falling as far as $35.45 in trading. The stock closed nearly unchanged at $35.69 a share. Tariffs would be adverse to the U.S. automaker if other countries decided to retaliate.