Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen have vowed to press ahead quickly to reach a trade deal and ease tensions that have clouded transatlantic relations for months.
Speaking at a press conference after his short trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, the US president said he expected to negotiate a trade deal with the EU before November’s presidential election. Shortly after, the EU commission chief said Brussels was “expecting in a few weeks to have an agreement that we can sign together” with the US, covering trade, technology and energy.
The potential for a rapid fix to the trade troubles that have been festering for months between Washington and Brussels will be greeted with relief by business leaders, who have worried that Mr Trump would become more aggressive towards Europe on trade after securing a commercial truce with China this month.