Norway is pressing Washington to reduce punitive tariffs after State Secretary Andreas Kravik met with US Deputy Trade Representative Jeffrey Goettman on Wednesday to discuss relief. The US imposed a 12.5 percent surcharge on Norwegian goods in July, citing insufficient action against forced labour, while the European Union received a lower 10 percent cap. The disparity has hit Norway's seafood sector hard, with nine percent of its seafood exports bound for the American market.
Compounding the pressure, the US is investigating Norway and 15 other nations for industrial overcapacity, a probe that could trigger additional duties of 10 to 12 percent. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide rejected the premise at a crisis meeting with business leaders earlier in August, saying Norway has no structural overcapacity.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise warns that divergent tariff rates between Norway and the EU could undermine Norwegian suppliers, as the White House signals strict rules of origin in any new EU-US trade deal.