WORLD

Italy's Meloni says to visit US for tariff talks 17 April

Agence France-Presse · Apr 9, 2025, 3:21 AM

This handout picture released by the Palazzo Chigi press office on 14 April 2024 shows Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a video conference with G7 leaders at Chigi Palace in Rome. Leaders of G7 nations condemned Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel and called for "restraint" from all sides on 17 April 2024. Iran's overnight barrage was its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory and came in retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran's consulate in the Syrian capital in which 7 people were killed. — Filippo ATTILI / Palazzo Chigi press office / AFP

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday that she would visit Washington next week to discuss US tariffs on the European Union with President Donald Trump.

In comments to a meeting with businesses published by her office, the far-right leader backed the European Union's calls for a negotiated solution to the situation.

"This is the negotiation that must see us all engaged and at all levels... and that involves me, who will be in Washington on April 17 and obviously I intend to address this issue with the US president," Meloni said.

Meloni, who has sought to maintain ties with fellow conservative Trump despite the disruption of his policies, said it was difficult to precisely assess the economic consequences of the new tariffs.

But she warned against "panic and alarmism" that she said "risk doing more damage than the measure itself".

"I think we can all agree that a trade war between Europe and the United States does not suit anyone," she said.

Brussels has so far refrained from hitting back at the sweeping 20 percent tariffs ordered by Trump on the bloc's imports, though it is readying a package of retaliation to earlier metals tariffs imposed by Washington.