The European Union is open to lowering tariffs on U.S. fertiliser imports as an offer in trade talks with the Trump administration, but will not weaken its food safety standards in pursuit of a deal,

US imports of foreign made goods fell sharply in April compared with the previous month, as tariffs clamped down on global trade. Much of the 16.3 percent drop from March, however, reflected the fact that importers rushed to bring many goods into the United States at the beginning of the year to get ahead of tariffs ordered by President Trump.

The US trade deficit more than halved in April as President Donald Trump's global tariffs reversed an import surge that preceded the new duties.