Shaken by Donald Trump's tariff blitz, the EU has embarked on a charm offensive to diversify its alliances in Asia and beyond, with summits lined up back-to-back and trade talks launched in all directions.
When the U.S. president unleashed his crippling "Liberation Day" tariffs on April 2, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen gave her first reaction, not in Brussels, but from Uzbekistan where she was in talks to bolster trade ties with Central Asia.
Although Trump has since rowed back with a 90-day pause, the European Union still faces tariffs of 10% on a vast majority of goods and higher on steel, aluminum and cars — with an uphill challenge to negotiate a way out of the standoff.
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