Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson urged the European Union to slash its auto tariffs on the US — an apparent bid to sway President Trump to lower his own hefty duties on foreign vehicles. The automaker, which is majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding,

The chief executive of Volvo Cars urged the European Union to cut its 10% tariff on American-made cars, arguing that European automakers do not need protection from U.S. competitors, in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.

The EU has reverted to offering the US tit-for-tat tariff reductions on cars, with negotiators abandoning the idea of a complex “netting mechanism” first proposed by German carmakers.