The EU will impose trade sanctions against the US on August 1st if Washington has not given a "reasonable package" of compensation and exemptions to its steel import tariffs by the EU-set deadline of July 19th, European Commission trade spokesman Mr Anthony Gooch said.
He said the US should at least make known its intentions to the EU by then, even if it has not announced a package of compensation or exemptions.
The alternatives open to the EU are - in the absence of the prospect of a satisfactory offer from the US - to impose sanctions or, if the US makes known its intentions as to an offer, "to give them the benefit of the doubt" until October, he said.
Mr Gooch was responding to the US administration's delay Friday in announcing the list of exemptions to its controversial prohibitive hikes in steel import tariffs.
"They have every interest in making known to us all the decisions they intend to make by that (July 19) date," Mr Gooch said.
The US is well aware that the Commission must report to EU member states its proposed response to the US tariffs on July 19th, he noted.
He said that if the US is to take a long time, for example to end-August, in making up its mind, then "they should let us know their intentions," he said.
"Either the US has not delivered a reasonable package and there's no prospect of it doing so, then we impose sanctions on August 1st," he said, adding "Or they let us know their intentions, and we give them the benefit of doubt" and retain the option to introduce sanctions in October.
AFP