EU pushes back as US trade pressure tests Italy's exports

The European Union pushed back Friday at renewed trade pressure from the United States, as Washington said the bloc was enabling Chinese evasion of US tariffs and stepped up calls for it to roll back flagship green rules on businesses, The Local Italy reported. The exchange marks the latest escalation in transatlantic trade tensions, with the US pressing Brussels on both market access and regulatory policy.

For Italy, the stakes are considerable. The country's export-driven economy relies heavily on access to both the US market and the smooth functioning of global supply chains, much of which moves through ports like Genoa. Any disruption to trade flows — whether from tariffs or regulatory divergence — would be felt acutely in Liguria, where shipping and logistics form the backbone of the regional economy.

The US accusations centre on the EU's role in facilitating Chinese goods transiting through the bloc to circumvent American tariffs, a charge Brussels denies. Washington has also renewed demands for the EU to soften green business regulations, which American firms argue place them at a competitive disadvantage.