The European Union and the United States are close to a possible trade agreement, which will include a 15% basic duty for European products imported to the US, according to European diplomats.

The negotiation is considering the exception of some EU products from this basic duty, according to the same source.

The planned duty, which may also include cars, reflects the framework agreement already concluded by the United States with Japan.

The Commission is said to be considering the acceptance of the so -called “mutual duties” in order to avoid the US president’s threat of increasing duties to 30% from August 1, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.

The agreement, as transferred from the same sources, provides for reciprocal exceptions for some products, such as aircraft, alcoholic beverages and medical articles.

EU exporters have been burdened since April with an additional 10%duty, with talks between Washington and Brussels continue. This is added to pre -existing duties that range on average to 4.8%.

According to reports, the total rate of 15% will include these existing duties, which for Brussels means that the current regime is consolidated without further burden. In practice, this means that the duty for European cars, which is currently 27.5%, will be reduced to 15%.

A US official said the situation remains fluid and may change.

The European Union Member States are expected to vote on Thursday for the € 93 billion compensatory duties package to products imported by the United States.

Earlier, the Bloomberg agency had reported that the European Union was planning to quickly hit the US with 30% tariffs about 100 billion euros in goods in the event of an agreement and if US President Donald Trump is threatening to impose this rates on most of the exports.