The European Union and the United States are getting closer to a mutually beneficial outcome in their trade talks, said EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič today.

“Our feeling is that we are very close to an agreement,” Šefčovič stated before a meeting with EU Trade Ministers in Brussels, adding that the 30% tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump would virtually eliminate trade.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s willingness to reach an agreement with the U.S. just one day after Trump announced that a 30% tariff on European exports would take effect on August 1.

Von der Leyen said that Brussels is extending the validity of its countermeasures until early August, even though the EU’s retaliatory moratorium was initially set to expire on Monday or Tuesday.

In any case, she emphasized that Europe seeks a negotiated trade solution with the U.S.

“The anti-coercion instrument was created for exceptional situations, and we’re not there yet,” she added, referring to a mechanism that allows the EU to go beyond traditional tariffs and impose restrictions not only on goods but also on services.