WASHINGTON, Sept 29 ― Talks between the United States and Europe to settle a dispute over steel and aluminium are at "advanced stages” and an agreement could be reached by early November, the EU trade commissioner said yesterday.

Citing national security concerns, former president Donald Trump in June 2018 levied tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium from several countries and blocs, including the European Union.

The Europeans retaliated with tariffs on a host of American goods, including tobacco, corn, rice, orange juice, jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

On his current visit to Washington, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said "discussions are in advanced stages, so I don't think there's a shortage of time.”

"There is a willingness to find a solution,” he added, saying both sides had put in "very intensive” work on the issue.

He met later Tuesday with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

Today and tomorrow, Dombrovskis will participate in the first meeting of the US-EU Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh, where Tai in a statement "expressed her optimism that the United States and European Union would continue to fortify (their) relationship.”

The United States and EU hope to settle the metals dispute by December 1.

However, Dombrovskis said an agreement should be reached by early November "because we need more or less a month for internal EU procedures to make sure that its automatic increase of retaliatory tariffs does not take place.”

The commissioner said the new council is "proof of our willingness to deepen our cooperation” with Washington.

He also stressed that it is "not about any specific countries,” though it will address issues common to non-market economies, "and clearly China is probably most prominent among them.” ― AFP