Washington, 17 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump expressed "100%" confidence in reaching "a trade deal" in the ongoing tariff dispute with the European Union as he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House on Thursday.

"Oh, there'll be trade deal, 100%," Trump said.

He was responding to a journalist's question about what would happen if there was no agreement at the end of the 90-day pause he had set - and he reacted almost mockingly.

"What, you think there won't be ... of course there will be a trade deal. Very much they want to make one, very, very much. And we're going to make a trade deal. I fully expect it, but it'll be a fair deal."

Asked about what countries were on his priority list, Trump said, "Everybody is on my priority list."

Familiar Trump pattern

This demonstrative certainty follows a familiar pattern as Trump often makes clear statements like these, likely to exert pressure on negotiating partners.

Last week, following significant turbulence in the stock and financial markets, Trump unexpectedly decided to grant many countries and the EU a 90-day pause from certain tariffs.

These tariffs are punitive and based on the trade deficit of the respective countries, with China being an exception.

With this decision, Trump temporarily put part of his extensive tariff package on hold. The EU also announced it would suspend planned retaliatory tariffs on US products for 90 days.

Trump praises Meloni

Meloni said that the aim was to find the middle ground. She added that she wanted to invite Trump to Italy for talks.

Trump was full of praise for his guest from Italy. "I do like her very much," the US president said. "I think she is a great prime minister. I think she is doing a fantastic job in Italy. And we are very proud of her."

Like many other European prime ministers, Meloni had criticized Trump's announcement of new punitive tariffs. At the same time, she is striving to maintain good relations with the US president and offered to act as a "bridge builder."

Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, attended Trump's inauguration in January and had previously been a guest at his residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Among European prime ministers, Meloni is considered one of Trump's preferred contacts.

Warning from IMF chief

Against the backdrop of the escalating trade conflict triggered by Trump, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned just a few hours before the meeting of growing pressures on the global economy.

In remarks before the start of the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington, she said the IMF's new growth forecasts will include significant downward revisions – but will not predict a recession.

At the same time, Georgieva expressed concern about increasing nervousness on the financial markets. Uncertainty had literally gone through the roof, she said.

The escalating trade dispute had shaken confidence in the international economic system and was weighing not only on smaller economies but also on major trading partners.

Photo: dpa