It wasn’t immediately clear if the EU would be able to secure tariff reductions for particular industries, such as automotive or steel, a key demand from member states including Germany. The EU currently faces 25% tariffs in the automotive sector and 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum.

European corporate giants, including German carmaker Mercedes Benz and French luxury group LVMH, are leading a rearguard action to blunt the bloc’s response to US President Donald Trump’s proposed sanctions.

The U.S. and the European Union have not yet struck a trade deal with just days to go before Trump's tariff reprieve is set to end.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat that Beijing can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine as this could allow the United States to turn its full attention to China,

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stated that Beijing cannot allow Russia to be defeated in the war against Ukraine during four hours of talks with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Beijing fears Moscow 's potential defeat would allow Washington to turn its full attention to Asia , sparking fresh tensions ahead of the EU-China summit.

China spared major cognac producers Pernod Ricard, LVMH and Remy Cointreau from hefty duties on EU brandy on Friday, a rare bright spot at a time of trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing as the two sides row over tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

The move comes as China’s foreign minister is touring Belgium, France and Germany in an effort to bolster ties with the bloc amid a trade spat with Washington.