When European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sat down with President Trump for trade talks Wednesday, the atmosphere was tense. Trump had already levied harsh taxes on European imports and was threatening further tariffs on cars from the Continent, while the European Union had retaliated with tariffs on U.S. goods like Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Kentucky bourbon.
But when the two men emerged from their private trade talks, it was all smiles. "We agreed today to work toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods," Trump said, while Juncker added, "We have identified a number of areas on which to work together."
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