Trump, EU's Juncker agree to work towards zero tariffs
Washington, July 26 : US President Donald Trump has said that he has reached a deal with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to work towards eliminating tariffs and barriers on trade, reducing tensions for now in a brewing trade war.
A pan-European Business Confederation on Thursday applauded the trade relations agreement.
The Confederation of European Business, also known as BusinessEurope, is a lobby organization based in Brussels, established in 34 European countries, advocating for Europe's business growth and competitiveness at both the continental and global level.
"Reason has prevailed. The agenda for talks between the EU and the US to de-escalate the current trade conflict is the right one," said BusinessEurope president Pierre Gataz.
On Wednesday, Trump said: "We are starting the negotiation right now, but we know where it is going and proclaiming 'a new phase' in US-EU trade relations."
While Juncker said that both Washington and Brussels will "hold off on other tariffs" while the talks are under way.
In a joint appearance before the press with Juncker, Trump said that the EU will begin importing soybeans from the US Midwest, as well as liquefied natural gas to "diversity" its energy sources, in addition to reducing some industrial tariffs.
The EC chief, meanwhile, hailed the trade agreement, which included reducing tariffs by both parties and easing the bilateral frictions that had arisen in recent months.
Juncker said that he had gone into his Oval Office meeting with Trump with both parties intending to reach an agreement.
He also said that the pact established the "resolution" of the US tariffs on European steel and aluminium that had sparked a trade brouhaha between Brussels and Washington, although neither Trump nor Juncker specified whether these would be immediately annulled.
Minutes later, at a conference at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Juncker said that the agreement emphasised the "special" nature of the alliance between the US and the EU going on to stress that trade between the two parties comprises half of all global commerce.
Juncker's visit to Washington aroused great expectations after the exchange of accusations and the imposition of tariffs by Trump on European steel and aluminium, to which Brussels had responded with identical measures on assorted US products, including motorcycles and jeans.
Trump has insisted in recent months on the need for the EU to agree to his demands to facilitate US access to the European market and has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 20 per cent on imports of European automobiles if the bloc did not make concessions to Washington.
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Shivakumar urges centre to intervene on Alamatti dam height issue
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday urged the Centre to intervene and allow Karnataka to raise the height of the Almatti dam across the Krishna river.
He also said that he will lead an all-party delegation to Delhi in this regard.
Noting that all three states -- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra -- have opposed the project, he said the Andhra Pradesh government has asked the Centre not to allow Karnataka acquire land for the proposed project to increase the dam's height from 519 meters to 524 meters.
"Andhra Pradesh government has written to the Centre asking it to refrain from giving any approval or gazette notification that allows Karnataka to carry out land acquisition for the proposed project stating the matter is pending before the Supreme Court," Shivakumar, who is also the state's water resources minister said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, the Union Water Resources Secretary has sought Karnataka's response. "We will reply to it after consulting legal experts."
"I did not expect Andhra Pradesh to react this way. (Andhra Pradesh CM) Chandrababu Naidu is an experienced politician; he is aware of everything, but they are now putting such pressure on the centre. I'm unable to understand this," he said.
Noting that the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) award permitted Karnataka to raise the dam to 524 metres and that there was no stay from the Supreme Court, the Deputy CM said and appealed to the Centre to act in accordance with earlier orders.
He also appealed to all the parliament members of Karnataka to put pressure on the central government in this regard, in the interest of the state.
"I will be sending all the details and records to our MPs; we need to build pressure on the centre, Prime Minister and the Union Jal Shakti minister on the issue when the Parliament session begins on March 10," he said, adding that he also plans to lead an all-party delegation to Delhi in this regard.
Pointing out that the Karnataka cabinet, on September 16, 2025, decided to acquire 1.33 lakh acres of land for this project in one go, through consent acquisition, and planned to allocate Rs 70,000 crore for land acquisition in three phases, Shivakumar said, adding, "Now obstacles are being caused to it."
Further delays would escalate costs, he said, as land compensation has become a major burden, with courts awarding higher payouts after farmers rejected earlier offers of Rs 8-9 lakh per acre during the previous BJP government.
"After deliberations, compensation is fixed in the range of Rs 35-40 lakh per acre, with some awards reaching Rs 10 crore because of litigations," he said, adding that around Rs 20,000 crore has already been spent on the project.
Asserting that it is "our water, our land", Shivakumar said, "I appeal to Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra not to interfere in this project; it is not good for you."
