The European Union's trade and economy chief, Maros Sefcovic, is set to hold talks with his U.S. counterpart on Tuesday in Paris, an EU spokesperson said, following President Donald Trump's latest tariffs threat last week.
Trump said Friday he will hike U.S levies on EU cars and trucks from this week, accusing the bloc of not complying with an earlier tariff agreement.
The EU dismissed the claim and insisted it remained committed to the deal.
"Since day one, we are implementing the joint statement, and we're fully committed to delivering on our shared commitments," EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.
Sefcovic will meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the margins of a G-7 ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday, the spokesperson added, as he noted talks between the two sides continued at different levels.
The European Parliament has given its conditional approval to the EU-U.S. trade pact, but under EU procedures, before the deal is implemented by the bloc, a final version still needs to be negotiated with member states.
Regnier said the EU kept Washington "fully informed throughout the process" and sought to "reassure the other side of the Atlantic, work is ongoing. Progress is being made."
While the EU has warned it is keeping its options open, Regnier refused to speculate on how the EU would act if the tariffs kick in.
"We will not escalate any threats. We focus on the implementation phase," he said.
Separately, a German foreign trade group signalled on Monday support for retaliatory EU measures if new U.S. tariffs announced by Trump take effect.
"Possible countermeasures" could be discussed as soon as it is "clear" why exactly Trump is planning to impose new tariffs, to what extent and on what legal basis, BGA President Dirk Jandura told the Handelsblatt business newspaper.
While stressing that dialogue and negotiations were the means of choice, Jandura also said that it was key for Europe to "defend its interests clearly and consistently."
The latest move by the U.S. president marks a sharp escalation after months of relative calm in the tariff dispute. In August, Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed on a framework capping tariffs on most EU imports, including cars and car parts, at 15%.
In return, the EU pledged to scrap tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and improve market access for agricultural products such as pork and dairy.
However, implementation has slowed amid renewed tariff threats by Trump and legal uncertainty following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in February that found many of his existing tariffs unlawful.
The European Parliament said in March that further implementation would be subject to strict conditions, with member states also required to approve the necessary regulations.
The president did not elaborate on how he believes the EU had failed to adhere to the terms of its deal.
