Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Tuesday that the U.S. is still pursuing a trade deal with the European Union.
The comment about the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership followed a series of angry tweets by President Trump the same day attacking Germany over its trade policies.
“It’s no mistake that, while we withdrew from [the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal] we did not withdraw from TTIP,” Ross said in an interview on CNBC.
“The EU is one of our largest trading partners, and any negotiations legally must be conducted at the EU level and not with individual nations. Thus, it makes sense to continue TTIP negotiations and to work towards a solution that increases overall trade while reducing our trade deficit.”
Talks on the deal have been on hold since Trump’s election. Ross said the controversies surrounding the Trump administration regarding Russian contacts were a “sideshow” that wouldn’t detract from the negotiations.
European trade is certainly on the president’s mind. “We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO and military. Very bad for U.S. This will change,” Trump said Tuesday morning.
