EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom is to hold last-ditch talks with her US counterpart aimed at exempting the 28-nation bloc from President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs.
The EU says it expects a “permanent and unconditional” exemption to replace the temporary measure running out on 1 May.
If that fails, it will launch a series of countermeasures.
Canada, the biggest exporter of steel to the US, also faces tariffs but talks have been postponed for a week.
Mr Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium in March.
When China was hit, it retaliated with its own duties on US imports such as pork, fruit and wine. Mr Trump responded by calling for further US tariffs.
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An estimated 320,000 workers across the EU are employed in the steel industry and the steel association Eurofer says President Trump’s threat of trade tariffs has already led to a steep surge in steel imports into the EU.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel met Mr Trump on Friday but no breakthrough was reached.
“For the time being our priority is the ongoing high-level dialogue to secure a permanent exemption,” Ms Malmstrom said, appealing for the EU and US to work together.
A European Commission spokesman said the EU was “patient but also prepared”.
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who will discuss the tariffs with Ms Malmstrom before the midnight (04:00 GMT) deadline, has indicated some US allies will be given last-minute exemptions if they accept a quota of US imports, but not all
