Italy is fully behind the European Commission as it prepares its response to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and negotiates to avert a trade war, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.

“We must work to avoid a trade war, which would be disastrous for the US and our companies,” Tajani said on the way into a European Trade Council meeting.

“We have to negotiate, the EU has to negotiate united.

“Italy will support all the initiatives of (Trade) Commissioner (Maros) Sefcovic, in whom we have extreme trust”.

Forza Italia leader Tajani reiterated that the Italian government has no intention of putting the European Commission “in difficulty”.