President Donald Trump hosts European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Wednesday after Trump threatened more tariffs on U.S trading partners.
"Tariffs are the greatest!" Trump tweeted Tuesday. "Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with tariffs. It’s as simple as that."
Trump again complained the world uses the United States as a "piggy bank" that everyone likes to rob.
Juncker is coming to Washington with the hopes the European Union can avoid an all-out trade war by convincing Trump to hold off punitive tariffs on European cars.
The potential car tariffs would hurt Germany's thriving automobile industry and come on top of hefty tariffs that Trump has already imposed on aluminum and steel imports.
The European Commission has responded with retaliatory tariffs, but new levies on cars could prompt Europe to take further action.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Tuesday Europe won't cave in to Trump's threats.
"No one has an interest in having punitive tariffs, because everyone loses in the end," Maas wrote on Twitter. "Europe will not be threatened by President Trump If we cede once, we will often have to deal with such behavior in the future."
Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told reporters Tuesday he does not think "the tariff route is the smart way to go."
Ryan said he understands Trump is seeking "a better deal for Americans" but added the U.S. should instead "work together to reduce trade barriers and trade restrictions between our countries."
