Half-baked Europe-U.S. trade deal seems likely next week, but could be changed by Trump

Open this photo in gallery: EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is visiting Washington to try to make a deal that would shield the block from hefty tariffs.Benoit Tessier/Reuters The art of the deal seems to be evolving into the art of the half-deal. When President Donald Trump three months ago announced a July 9 deadline for countries to negotiate trade deals with the United States or face tariffs of as much as 50 per cent, the European Union faced an industry-busting crisis. Tariffs that high would shatter key export sectors, including cars, pharmaceuticals and machinery, inevitably pushing the 27-country bloc…