US President Donald Trump praised the European Union for not retaliating against US tariffs, describing its reluctance as "very smart."
He said at a ministerial meeting that the European Union was prepared to announce retaliatory measures against his tariffs, but noted the way the United States dealt with China and decided to "step back a little bit," adding, "I think they're very smart."
Asked whether he viewed the EU as a single entity or individual countries during the negotiations, the president said, "We view it as a single bloc."
Despite his praise, Trump renewed his accusation that the European Union was established to exploit the United States.
Last Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced a temporary 90-day suspension of tariffs on imports from more than 75 countries, with the exception of imports from China, on which he raised tariffs to 125%.
For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Trump's announcement to temporarily suspend tariffs.
"This is an important step towards stabilizing the global economy," von der Leyen said.
"The European Union remains committed to conducting constructive negotiations with the United States, with the aim of achieving smooth and mutually beneficial trade," she added.