Europe 'always ready for a good deal': Von der Leyen

The European Union has offered the United States an agreement on "zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday, days before 20% tariffs on EU exports enter into force.

"Europe is always ready for a good deal, so we keep it on the table," von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.

"These tariffs come first and foremost at immense costs for US consumers and businesses," she said, calling the trade measures "a major turning point for the United States."

While hoping for a diplomatic solution, the EU was preparing countermeasures and setting up a task force to monitor potential trade diversion caused by the US tariffs, von der Leyen said.