President Donald Trump welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the White House Thursday, April 17, for talks aimed at easing a trade standoff with the European Union over steep tariffs. Meloni, the first European leader to meet Trump since he slapped levies on EU goods, expressed hope for a deal before the tariffs escalate.
The meeting, held over lunch in the Cabinet Room, focused on Trump’s 10% baseline tariff on EU imports, plus 25% duties on steel, aluminum, and cars. A broader 20% “reciprocal” tariff, announced April 2, is paused until July 9, giving the EU three months to negotiate. Meloni, whose country faces a $43.75 billion trade surplus with the U.S., pushed a “zero-for-zero” tariff plan, a deal the EU hopes avoids a trade war.
“We’ll make a deal, 100%,” Trump said, flanked by Meloni. “They want it bad, and it’ll be fair.”
Italy, the EU’s third-biggest exporter to the U.S., sent $76 billion in goods like machinery, fashion, and wine last year. Meloni, a right-wing leader Trump calls a “fantastic person,” warned tariffs could hurt both sides.
“We’ve got to talk,” she said. “I’m here because I trust we can find common ground.”
“It’s a tough spot,” said Luca Rossi, a Turin auto parts supplier. “If tariffs hit, my U.S. clients might drop us. We need Meloni to pull this off.”
The EU paused its own 25% tariffs on $23.8 billion of U.S. goods, like soybeans and motorcycles, to give talks a chance. But some EU leaders, like France’s Emmanuel Macron, worry Meloni’s cozy ties with Trump could split the bloc, pushing Italy to seek a solo deal. Meloni’s office said she coordinated with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen to stick to a united front.
“She’s got a shot to sway him,” said Maria Conti, an analyst at Rome’s IAI think tank. “Trump listens to her, but he’s tough on trade.”
Trump, who hosted Japan’s leaders a day earlier, brushed off urgency.
“We’re in no rush,” he said, touting tariff cash for the U.S. treasury.
Meloni’s trip doesn’t end in Washington. She’ll host Vice President JD Vance in Rome Friday, keeping trade on the table. For now, the EU’s counting on her to keep talks alive, with businesses on both sides hoping for a break.