Italy’s Meloni to visit US next week for tariff talks with Trump

In comments made during a meeting with business representatives, Meloni backed EU calls for a negotiated solution to new US tariffs.

Negotiations “must see us all engaged and at all levels,” she said.

She added that she “will be in Washington on April 17th” and that she “intend[s] to address” the tariffs directly with US president Trump.

Meloni was the only EU leader invited to Trump’s inauguration in January and has maintained close ties with the Republican despite the turmoil caused by his latest trade policies.

“The Italian government has good relations with the Trump administration and our work could be useful in convincing the Americans to reach a positive solution,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday.

READ ALSO: PM Meloni says Italy ‘can manage’ new US tariffs

Meloni, who has openly criticised Trump’s tariffs as “wrong”, reiterated on Tuesday that “a trade war between Europe and the United States does not suit anyone”.

She said it was difficult to precisely assess the tariffs’ impact on Italy’s exports, 10 percent of which go to the US market.

However, she warned against “panic and alarmism”, saying that a rash response risks “doing more damage than the measure itself”.

Meloni said that the Italian government would help affected firms, noting that the EU was urging member states to modify their spending plans to “invest the allocated resources” in measures addressing the shifting trade situation.

Italy is the main beneficiary of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan, with Rome hoping to receive almost €200 billion in grants and loans in return for economic reforms by 2026.

Meloni said her cabinet had identified “approximately €14 billion” from this plan “that can be remodelled to support employment and increase productivity”.

A further €11 billion from the EU’s so-called ‘cohesion funds’ could also be repurposed, though the European Commission would have to agree to the move, she added.