EU Turns Up Pressure With Trump Trade Deal 'In Reach'

The EU's 27 countries have largely let the European Commission focus on seeking a deal to avoid hefty US tariffs (Credit: AFP)

With the contours of a hard-fought EU-US trade deal taking shape, the European Union is flexing its muscles in a bid to squeeze concessions from US President Donald Trump in the run-up to his deadline of August 1.

Brussels and Washington appear to be inching towards a deal with a baseline 15-percent US levy on EU goods, and potential carve-outs for critical sectors, multiple diplomats told AFP.