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AMNA NAWAZ: For more on 
the U.S. trade war with 
Europe, we turn now to Jovita

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Neliupsiene, the European 
Union's ambassador 
to the United States.

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Madam Ambassador, welcome 
back to the "News Hour." 
Thanks for joining us.

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE, European 
Union Ambassador to the 
United States: Well, 
thank you for having me.

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AMNA NAWAZ: So, as we 
reported, these tariffs 
largely target products made

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in Republican states, products 
from Kansas and Nebraska, 
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana.

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Is it your hope here 
that Republican lawmakers 
will speak up and apply

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pressure to President Trump 
to roll back the tariffs,

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or do you hope that President 
Trump starts to lose support 
from his base in these states?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Well, first 
of all, let's start from the 
beginning. We actually deeply

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regret that the tariffs 
are introduced for the E.U. 
products on steel and aluminum.

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We never saw the tariffs 
as really the measure to 
foster trade, or -- and 
we see it actually as

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a harm for the transatlantic 
trade relations. But we 
have to react, and our 
reaction will be prompt,

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and we will reinstitute the 
tariffs we already had and 
discussed back in 2018 and 2020.

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AMNA NAWAZ: And is it your 
hope here that Republican 
lawmakers will see that

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and want to save their 
states and start to apply 
pressure? Have you been 
in touch with any of them?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Well, 
we really had a lot of 
conversations with senators 
and congressmen here

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in D.C. trying to send one 
single message that tariffs 
are really not for the best

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of the transatlantic 
relations, so we hope 
that everyone can send a 
message, the same message.

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AMNA NAWAZ: We did see 
how quickly the terms 
-- even between the U.S. 
and Ontario, for example,

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there was an escalation 
there, then it was a quick 
de-escalation. You saw 
Ontario slap a surcharge on

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electricity exports; 24 
hours later after a call 
between the premier there 
and the U.S. commerce

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secretary, Ontario rolled 
back that surcharge, and 
now the two are meeting 
in Washington tomorrow.

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What would it take for the 
E.U. to roll back your tariffs?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: We 
stand ready for talks 
and for the negotiations.

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We repeatedly expressed 
our interest in talking. 
And if you -- you probably 
noticed that we not

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only published our intended 
reciprocal measures. 
We as well informed 
public that they will be

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they come into effect at the 
1st of April, so there is enough 
time for the conversations.

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AMNA NAWAZ: And is it your 
hope that something happens

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before April 1 that means 
you don't have to put 
the tariffs into place?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Well, we 
always have a hope for their 
for the really constructive,

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constructive talks, 
because none of us will 
benefit from the tariffs,

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because, one, it's always -- it 
raise the cost for the business.

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It may inflict inflation 
in the U.S. It weakens 
in general supply chains,

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which are the supply chains of 
transatlantic partners and in 
general supply chains of allies.

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So we don't see how it 
could be beneficial for 
both sides of Atlantic.

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AMNA NAWAZ: Madam Ambassador, 
as you know, when the E.U. 
trade commissioner was here in

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Washington to meet with 
the commerce secretary, 
Howard Lutnick, last month, 
he was trying to head

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off these tariffs. He came 
out of that meeting and 
he said -- quote -- "The 
E.U. is not the problem."

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Is Commerce Secretary 
Lutnick someone you can

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work with on this? And 
if not who in the White 
House can you work with.

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Well, of 
course, commerce -- Secretary

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of Commerce Lutnick is 
really our prime contact, 
as well as USTR Greer.

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We are ready to talk whoever 
is willing to talk and make an

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action that those tariffs 
would be -- revert.

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AMNA NAWAZ: You say you're 
ready to talk. Is it fair

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to say those conversations 
are already under way?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Well, 
we always say here have to 
have them. And we already 
-- as you mentioned,

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we already had a very 
in-depth conversation 
with Secretary Lutnick,

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and we are ready 
to continue them.

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AMNA NAWAZ: Let me ask you 
about the U.S. tariffs on 
steel, because the E.U. does

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stand to lose millions of 
tons in steel exports under 
those tariffs. As you know,

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the U.S. is the second biggest 
export market for E.U. steel. 
We know European markets were

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already deeply impacted by the 
energy crisis that was spurred 
by Russia's war in Ukraine.

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What has been and what 
could be the impact of 
those tariffs not just on

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the E.U. steel industry, 
but on European economies?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: As 
the E.U., we are not the 
major trading partner in

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steel and aluminum 
for U.S. So we don't 
constitute a problem since

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2018 that our exports of steel 
and aluminum actually decreased.

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I really do believe that 
the impact for economies 
is always there, because we

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not only kind of -- it not 
only impacts the certain 
sector which get tariffs on,

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but as well there are 
the services around that. 
It contributes to the

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weakening of the trade links and 
the trust of the supply chains.

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AMNA NAWAZ: Madam ambassador, 
beyond commodities, the 
E.U. bought an estimated

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$61 billion of military 
equipment from the U.S. 
between 2022 and 2024.

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And, as you know, after the U.S. 
cut off arms and intelligence 
support to Ukraine, there were

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a number of European leaders 
who were reportedly very worried 
that the U.S. could do the same

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to them. Will the E.U. 
continue to buy military 
equipment from the U.S.? 
Do you see that changing?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Well, so 
far as we see from the reports,

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we have no evidence that 
the U.S. would be cutting 
some kind of the sales or

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productions for the European 
countries. And we very much 
rely on the supplies from U.S.,

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because a lot of NATO 
capabilities are actually 
built on U.S. platforms.

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AMNA NAWAZ: But is there a 
concern about the reliance 
on America? I mean,

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is the U.S. still considered 
a reliable partner 
to you on this front?

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: We 
spend almost 60 percent 
of our defense budgets in

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acquiring capabilities, 
ammunition and different 
defense-related products from

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U.S. I really strongly 
believe it will remain so.

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AMNA NAWAZ: That is the European 
Union's ambassador to the United

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States, Jovita Neliupsiene, 
joining us tonight.

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Madam Ambassador, thank 
you so much for your time. 
Good to speak with you.

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JOVITA NELIUPSIENE: Thank you.