Trump Expresses Confidence in EU Trade Deal in Meeting With Italy’s Meloni

WASHINGTON—U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the White House on April 17, with both leaders signaling confidence that a trade deal will emerge with the European Union (EU).

Trump said he has “very little problem making a deal with Europe, or anybody else, because [the United States has] something that everybody wants.”

He dismissed concerns about China’s escalation of tariffs with the United States and attempts to win over trade partners in the ongoing trade dispute.

“Nobody can compete with us, nobody,” Trump said. “I think we’re going to make a very good deal with China.”

Meloni is expected to play a significant role in calming trade tensions between the United States and the EU.

“I’m sure we can make a deal, and I’m here to help on that,” she told reporters before the two leaders entered the Oval Office for further discussions.

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The president praised the Italian prime minister, saying: “She’s doing a fantastic job in Italy. We’re very proud of her.”

Both leaders expressed optimism after the conclusion of their meeting. They took questions from reporters in the Oval Office, where Meloni thanked Trump for accepting an official visit to Italy “in the near future.”

She said she and Trump have the same views on the “fight against woke and DEI ideology” as well as illegal immigration.

“The goal for me is to make the West great again, and I think we can do it together,” Meloni said.

She also pledged to boost liquefied natural gas imports from the United States.

During a call on April 17 previewing the meeting, a White House official told reporters that the president expects Italy and all other EU countries to do their part to be good trade partners with the United States.

“This visit is not just based on the strong bilateral relationship between [the] United States and Italy … but also on Meloni’s role as a key force in Europe and a voice that largely sees eye to eye with the president on a lot of issues like immigration and the war in Ukraine,” the official said.

“I think she’s increasingly playing that role in the European Union. I think a lot of other states are grateful for her leadership. … We certainly see her as a valuable interlocutor.”

In 2024, the United States had a trade deficit of $235.6 billion with the European bloc, a 13 percent year-over-year increase.

On April 2, Trump announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on nearly every country. He added higher, reciprocal tariffs on a number of key trading partners who made the “worst offenders” list. The list included the EU (20 percent), Japan (24 percent), Taiwan (32 percent), and South Korea (25 percent).

Soon after, Trump introduced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs for countries that expressed a willingness to enter negotiations, although the 10 percent baseline tariff remains in effect.

The EU is currently facing three different U.S. tariffs—a 25 percent duty on automobiles, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum, and the across-the-board 10 percent tariff.

“We know we are in a difficult moment,” Meloni said this week in Rome. “Most certainly, I am well aware of what I represent, and what I am defending.”

As a European leader, Meloni has the opportunity to open the way for more in-depth and constructive U.S.–EU trade talks.

Meloni was the only European head of government to attend Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Before the inauguration, in January, Trump extended an invitation to the prime minister to meet at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. During the visit, the two leaders had dinner and participated in a panel discussion with Trump supporters.

However, Italy spends nearly 1.5 percent of its GDP on defense, which is below NATO’s current 2 percent target.

During her meeting with Trump, Meloni promised that her country will meet the 2 percent target soon.

“Italy is going to the next summit of NATO, announcing that it raised 2 percent as was requested,” she told reporters.

According to the White House, there are currently eight countries among the 31-member bloc that are not meeting the 2 percent threshold.

“Europe, as you know, is committed to do more, is working on tools to allow and help the member states in increasing the defense spending,” Meloni said in the meeting. “And we are convinced that everyone has to do more.”

During the bilateral meeting, Meloni was expected to discuss extending NATO’s Article 5 agreement to Ukraine.

In March, Meloni proposed to extend Article 5, the alliance’s collective defense commitment, to Ukraine without the country’s membership. Article 5, a cornerstone of the alliance, states that any attack on one member is considered an attack on all members.

A White House official who wished to remain anonymous told The Epoch Times before the meeting that Meloni’s plan was not agreeable to Trump. Neither leader brought up the subject after their meeting.