Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström. Photo: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström told reporters Wednesday that the EU has "not received any assurances" that the Trump administration won't implement auto tariffs, but said she is under the assumption that there will not be any new tariffs from either side — a commitment President Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed to in July.
The big picture: Malmström, who met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington, D.C., today, said she believes auto tariffs would be harmful to both the U.S. and European economies, but added that the EU has a draft list of retaliatory tariffs that it's prepared to process if necessary. As Axios' Jonathan Swan reported, Trump views the threat of auto tariffs as his best leverage over negotiating partners. He has privately told aides that the threat of auto tariffs helped him get a better trade deal with Canada, and that the same could apply to the EU.