“They’re coming in to see me Wednesday and we’ll see if we can work something out,” Trump said ahead of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's visit to Washington later this week. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo Trump: U.S. ready to ‘do something’ about EU auto imports

President Donald Trump on Monday threatened Europe’s car exports ahead of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's visit to Washington later this week, saying the European Union has been “very tough” on the U.S.

“They’re coming in to see me Wednesday and we’ll see if we can work something out,” Trump said at a White House event celebrating American-made goods. “Otherwise, we’ll have to do something with respect to the millions of cars that they send in every year. Maybe we can work something out."


Trump is weighing a 20 percent tariff on imports of automobiles and auto parts under a law that allows the executive to impose tariffs and other trade restrictions if the Commerce Department determines that imports of certain goods threaten national security.

Trump has consistently targeted the EU for maintaining a 10 percent tariff on imported vehicles while the U.S. has a 2.5 percent tariff on imports of passenger vehicles.

Trump also mentioned Mexico and said he talked with Mexican President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador at length over the phone recently, calling him a “terrific person."

“We’re talking to them about doing something very dramatic, very positive for both our countries,” he said, mentioning trade and NAFTA without bringing up Canada.

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Trump has made it clear he wants to work out a deal on NAFTA with Mexico first, and may pursue a renegotiation of the 24-year-old trade agreement separately with both Mexico and Canada — though both governments, and López Obrador, have insisted NAFTA remain a three-way deal.

“We’re talking to Mexico on NAFTA, and I think we’re going to have something worked out,” Trump said.