TMTPOST --   U.S. President Donald   Trump is ramping up   pressure   on the European Union to   push for a deal as a senior German   official   warned that   the   failure to make an fair trade deal   would draw   countermeasures.

Credit：Xinhua News Agency

Trump   during a Cabinet meeting on   Tuesday indicated   the   letter   informing   new   U.S. reciprocal tariffs on the EU   at hand.   Calling the EU "among the toughest to deal   with", Trump said:   "We ’ re probably two days off from sending them a letter. We are talking to them."

Trump said the EU "treated   us very badly until recently"   and   was   "in many   respects much worse   than China", but then   added:   "Now they are being very nice to us and we will   see what   happens."  

Trump ’ s   threat of sending tariff letter reflected   his   frustration   with trade   negotiations that are   proving   lengthier   and more complicated   than   the   "90 deals in   90   days"   that he claimed.

Trump on Monday   posted letters dictating tariffs ranging from 25% to 40% on 14   countries, affecting all imports from Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia,Tunisia, South   Africa, Bosnia and   Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Reuters   the same day reported the Trump administration   will   not send letters to the EU about higher   tariffs   as the bloc was close   to an agreement with   the U.S.

But EU   officials on Tuesday expressed their concerns that the 27-member bloc could be locked into an unfavorable deal.

German   Finance   Minister   Lars   Kligbeil said the EU readies   for countermeasures   if it doesn ’ t reach a   fair   deal with the United States. "We want a deal with the Americans, but I'm saying it clearly: that deal must be fair. And if we don't reach such a deal, then the EU must take countermeasures to protect our economy. US tariffs are endangering jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. This trade war is hurting us all and must end as soon as possible," Klingbeil said in the Bundestag.

The EU ’ s trade chief,   European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic   on Tuesday   said the   bloc was   continuing   to   engage   closely with the U.S. counterparts   while   not ruling   out   retaliations if talks failed.   "I want to assure you that we are working flat out to secure a fair and mutually beneficial negotiated solution, but we need to be prepared for all outcomes and be ready to rebalance if necessary,"   Sefcovic   told the European parliament.

Ireland ’ s deputy prime minister   Simon Harris   earlier   this week revealed   the EU   had been given until August   1, Trump ’ s new deadline for reciprocal tariffs,   to conclude talks or face tariffs on imports of up to 50%.   In exchange for an acceptance of a 10% baseline tariff   from   the   U.S.,   the EU is looking for a series of concession   including those on   medical devices and   wine and spirits   as   well   as a reduced tariff quota for car imports and steel,   currently attracting import duties of 27.5% and 50% respectively.

Swedish finance minister   Elisabeth Svantesson   on   Tuesday   described the   tariff   deal being   offered by the U.S.--a   10%   baseline tariff on most EU   exports in exchange for some   concessions--as "really bad."   "It is the Commission that is driving this, but now I think we just have to prepare ourselves for at least 10 percent being what we will have. Do I think that ’ s good? No, it ’ s really bad. But we have to know what applies,"   Svantesson said.

Svanteson insisted the EU should   not accept   a bad   deal. "We support taking a tough stance against the US. We cannot stand with our hats in our hands and thank them for an ‘ offer ’ of a 10 percent tariff,"   the minister said.

Bloomberg on Tuesday reported the EU is nearing   a preliminary   deal   that would shield certain key industries from   tariffs that could   come as early as   August   1.   Commercial aircraft maker   Airbus   Group SE   and certain automakers   are reported to   benefit   from tariff exemptions,   and the   spirits   industry is   set   to receive tariff relief   under the deal.

While   the deal   will enable exemptions granted to German automakers like BMW AG   and Mercedes Benz Group AG, Italian luxury sports car   manufacturer Ferrari NV may be left out   as exemptions   are likely to apply only to those   operate factories in the U.S.