The EU is still hoping to convince Donald Trump to back down over tariffs, the EU’s Trade Commissioner says.

EU trade ministers are meeting in Warsaw to discuss the threat that the US may impose tariffs on goods from the European Union.

After imposing tariffs on Mexico and Canada at the weekend, Trump has now paused those tariffs for 30 days whilst discussions continue.

Meanwhile, US tariffs of 10 percent on China have come into effect. And China has immediately announced retaliation measures against the US.

The “countermeasures” announced by Beijing include a 15 percent tariff on coal and 10 percent on oil as well as trucks, some machinery and engines.

Importantly China has also announced export controls on so-called rare earth metals which are crucial for high tech equipment like mobile phones and for the aerospace industry.

And China has announced that it will carry out an “anti-monopoly investigation” into Google.

As for Europe, the EU’s Trade Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, said this morning that he hopes the EU can still avoid being hit by US tariffs.

“We hope through…early engagement we can avoid the measures which would bring a lot of disturbance to the most trade and investment relationship on this planet”, he said.

EU-US trade is valued at $1.3 trillion.

Arriving in Warsaw, Ireland’s trade minister, Peter Burke TD, said he hoped it would be possible to “de-escalate any tensions”.

Ireland works “at every hand’s turn [to] counter protectionism”, he said.

We are “trying to ensure that we are open, competitive and that we demonstrate how much trade really lifts society and ensures that everyone within the country and within the [European] Union benefits from a very strong relationship” with the United States.

Tánaiste Simon Harris is “working very closely” with the US administration, Peter Burke said.