Tariff and Trade Negotiations Clarified Amidst Trump’s Repost

Rome: Tariff and trade negotiations are led by the European Commission, sources at Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office at Palazzo Chigi stated Monday, following US President Donald Trump’s repost of a tweet by a MAGA activist. The tweet suggested that Meloni was seeking to negotiate a separate and improved trade deal between the USA and Italy.

According to Ansa News Agency, the sources at Palazzo Chigi emphasized that trade negotiations are under the purview of the European Commission, as it falls within the Union’s exclusive competence. This clarification comes in response to the controversy ignited by Trump’s repost on the social media platform Truth, where activist Lynne Patton’s tweet and accompanying video claimed that Meloni intended to bypass Brussels to secure trade agreements with Washington.

The same sources further clarified that bilateral discussions have been ongoing, in parallel with the Commission’s activities, concerning the anti-dumping duties proposed by the US Department of Commerce against some Italian pasta producers.