Trump says '100% confident of trade deal with EU' during Italian PM Meloni's US visit

US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence in reaching a trade deal with the European Union (EU) before the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs ends. 

Trump made the remarks during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Washington on Thursday. At a bilateral lunch with Meloni, Trump told reporters, "There'll be a trade deal. 100 per cent. Why you think there won't be? Of course, there'll be a trade deal," CNN reported. 

"They want to make one very, very much. We're gonna make a trade deal. I fully expect it, but it will be a fair deal," he added. 

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Trump has paused the imposition of 20 per cent reciprocal tariffs on more 75 countries, including the EU and India, claiming those countries have agreed to engage in trade discussions with the US. 

In response, the EU also put the retaliatory tariffs on hold for 90 days to give time for negotiations with Washington. 
During a joint press briefing with Trump, Italian Prime Minister Meloni emphasised the significance of transatlantic trade. 

"That shows how interconnected our economies are, and that's very important, not just about Italy but about the entire Europe, the exchange between us is a very big one, these are the topics we discussed," she said. 

Meloni also confirmed that Trump has accepted an official invitation to visit Rome in the "near future." "The goal for me is to make the West great again, and I think we can do it together," Meloni said. 

Commenting on broader trade negotiations, Trump said that, "everybody wants to make a deal, and if they don't want to make a deal, we'll make the deal for them."