The European Union wants to engage swiftly with the United States over President Donald Trump's planned tariffs, trade chief Maros Sefcovic said on Tuesday, while his boss Ursula von der Leyen stressed the bloc would protect its interests in negotiations.

The president’s threats to slap duties on goods imported from the European Union are part of a pattern of directing the harshest penalties at the United States’ closest allies.

Is Europe the next target for President Donald Trump’s tariffs? The continent’s companies and politicians are bracing themselves. U.K. spirits maker Diageo scrapped its midterm outlook, citing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty in key markets.