Very important statements on how EU views the steel & aluminum tariffs. More on this later in next tweets. pscp.tv/EU_Commission/…
Katainen Key Quote 1/1: „It’s not crystal clear how the potential exclusion process will function. We have not heard any further information about the criteria for potential exclusion, but obviously we think that as the EU companies are not the source of unfair trade and ..."
Katainen Key Quote 1/2: „.... as EU and our companies are not the source of security threat, we should get an exclusion on those tariffs.”
Katainen Key Quote 2: “We need a dialogue with the United States. Its clear. We need clarity to the situation, but its also very clear we are looking at option to be excluded from higher tariffs."
Katainen Key Quote 3: “We also will continue our preparatory work on potential rebalancing measures hoping that we are not forced to use them. But we are prepared and will be prepared if need be to use rebalancing measures."
Katainen Key Quote 4: "If things happen, or if the worst case scenario happens, we are ready to take US to the WTO court and we are discussing with other partners to do it together”
Katainen Key Quote 5/1: “We expect that whole EU is treated as a trading block which we are. All the countries are in a similar position. We cannot accept that EU is divided to different categories."
Katainen Key Quote 5/2: “As everybody knows we have very strict state aid rules within the Union which supposed to be the reassurance to the United States also, that there is no subsidies in our steel and aluminum sector."
Katainen Key Quote 6: "it’s very important to avoid unlevel playing field between the Member States and between different companies in the different Member States."
Katainen Key Quote 7/1: "We understand & share their concern on overcapacity issue. There are really issues in world trade at the moment that have to be addressed together. Overcapacity is just one of them. We have wanted to strengthen our capability to address overcapacity ..."
Katainen Key Quote 7/2 "...and dumping issues in Europe. ...There are economic security issues which we have to address, but let’s do it together and in line with WTO rules. There are areas where we have to cooperate very close"
Katainen Key Quote 8: I hope nobody expects we'd give concessions on trade even if trade btn US & Europe's been put in question. This isn't a trade negotiation. We're talking abt unilateral action vs. internat'l rules & we want to sort it out before it becomes really a problem"
Katainen Key Quote 9/1: "NATO-related issues and trade are completely separate issues. So EU doesn’t have role in NATO as such. We cooperate closely with NATO but now we have to solve one problem first, and then if there are issues regarding NATO its another thing. "
Katainen Key Quote 9/2: NATO-related issues belong to Member States & its not a matter for which the European Commission is responsible for. We are responsible for trade & that’s why we look at the issue from trade angle, purely. Because now the problem is a trade problem."
Katainen Key Quote 10: "There are issues in the world trade that need to be solved. Overcapacity is a cancer of world trade. Also, there are new issues arising and partially we wanted to address those issues by introducing European-wide legislation on investment screening."
Katainen Key Quote 11: "We are in a situation where we all have to choose whether we want rules-based trade, which supports rule-based world order, or do we want the rule of force, the rule of the strongest, which we have now seen. "
Done! ✊ Getting through 20 minutes of EURO-speak wasn't easy, but i persevered. 💪
