Talks on lowering and removing trade barriers are in trouble largely because of the position of the United States, economic affairs minister Maria van der Hoeven is quoted as saying by the Financieele Dagblad on Tuesday.

The delay is disadvantaging Dutch flower growers, dredging firms and meat and dairy product processing industries, the minister said. However, bilateral agreements between the European Union and other countries are picking up some of the slack.
‘The United States is the land of free markets and free trade. But there are two sides to this,’ she is quoted as saying. ‘You cannot only take without giving… the Americans can erect a fence around their country but at a certain point other countries will do it too.’
Van der Hoeven is due to discuss trade agreements with MPs on Wednesday.