President Trump headed into talks Thursday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after a series of “productive” trade negotiations with Mexico and Japan.
He cheered the progress on trade talks that took place Wednesday with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and Japanese trade representatives.
“Had a very productive call with the President of Mexico yesterday. Likewise, I met with the highest-level Japanese Trade Representatives,” Mr. Trump said on social media. “It was a very productive meeting. Every Nation, including China, wants to meet! Today, Italy!”
Ms. Meloni is the first European leader to meet the president in Washington since Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on European imports earlier in the month.
Mr. Trump and Ms. Meloni have had a strong relationship, but Italy was not excluded from the Trump tariff plan. Along with other European Union nations, it was hit with a general 20% tariff.
Ms. Meloni has said the tariffs were “wrong,” but she would work with President Trump to avoid a “trade war.”
“As you can imagine, I’m feeling no pressure at all,” Ms. Meloni said humorously at an event in Rome earlier this week. “It’s a difficult moment, let’s see how the situation develops, but let’s remember that we have the strength, ability and intelligence to overcome any obstacle.”
Ms. Meloni is the leader of the conservative populist Brothers of Italy party, whose popularity is growing along with other similar political movements in other European countries. She’s expected to host Vice President J.D. Vance in Rome on Friday.
Mr. Trump previously met with Ms. Meloni in January at his Mar-a-Lago estate when he lauded her as a “fantastic woman” who was “really taking Europe by storm.”
On April 2, Mr. Trump announced a 20% reciprocal tariff on all imported EU goods. The EU then retaliated with 25% tariffs targeting 21 billion euros’ ($23.8 billion) worth of U.S. exports.
Mr. Trump later delayed the reciprocal tariffs on all countries, except China, for 90 days to allow for negotiations. This EU then paused its retaliatory tariff “to give negotiations a chance,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week.
However, if the negotiations fail, the EU has vowed to impose retaliatory measures.
President Trump said Wednesday he met with a delegation from Japan to negotiate “trade fairness” as nations try to avoid the reimposition of hefty U.S. tariffs.
Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa is trying to stave off the return of a 24% tariff on his country’s exports to the U.S.
Those levies are on hold during a 90-day pause, though Japan still faces the 10% universal rate and Mr. Trump’s 25% duty on cars, which are the linchpin of Japan’s export economy.
The White House on Tuesday said that China must act first in devising a trade deal with the U.S., arguing the Asian superpower is dependent on American consumers and their spending power.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the “ball is in China’s court” as the world’s foremost economies impose tit-for-tat tariffs on each other’s goods.
“China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” she said, characterizing it as a statement directly from Mr. Trump. “There’s no difference between China and any other country, except they are much larger.”
• Thomas Howell and Jeff Mordock contributed to this story.
