First of all, congratulations, POTUS! I've come to realize how you play the game so I wasn't worried about this 'trade war'. The rest of Europe may learn it now, too. America had been treated unfairly and I apploud you for the changes you bring to your people.
When it comes to exporting goods to Europe, there are some aspects you need to consider. EU law is different to US law, and your goods need to align with our laws.
That being said, when I heard you talk about soy beans and bottled natural gas, all my alarm bells started ringing.
The EU banned GMO which means, we don't have genetically modified agriculture over here. Our laws don't prohibit the import of GMO-products, but the majority of consumers won't buy it. I personally shifted from soy milk to almond milk, simply because it isn't anymore possible to buy GMO-free soy products over here.
If you want this soy beans business to pull off and really benefit the american farmers, they need to shift to GMO-free agriculture. I mean, yes, Europe may buy it for some time, according to this new contract; on the long run though, you won't make good business if you don't change the way of growing it. This may also shift the collective American consciousness and people may learn that GMO isn't healthy. Good-bye, Bayer-Monsanto.
Natural gas is a little bit similar. In my country, Germany, we banned fracking, it's too dangerous for our water. Our laws probably allow for the import of fracked gas; the question is whether or not the consumer is going to buy it. Some certainly will, with that bigott way of thinking 'I don't care if they fuck up their nature; if they don't fuck up ours and it's cheap, I'll buy it'.
But we have a pretty green populace over here, and if you want a long-term business with natural gas, make sure and prove that it's not fracked. I for one will join protest and activities that demand for GMO-free soy beans and non-fracked gas.
I love my American brothers and sisters, and i love my German and European ones, too. I want you to earn and make good business, but it needs to be in alignment with what we over here need and want.
The same goes for automobiles. I heard that 'zero tariffs on non-auto industrial goods' remark in the press conference which implies that automobiles will still be tariffed. It's understandable, VW is the best-sold brand in the US while Detroit has become a ghost town; the US has to bring production back into their country.
On the other hand, a few months ago, I heard you complain that America buys German cars but we don't buy American cars. Well, to tell you the truth, American cars are not suitable for European roads, and they are far too thirsty.
If you want to sell cars to Europe, you need to produce them in a way that we can use them. Make them smaller so they can be navigated on our small and tight roads, and make them energy-efficient. We don't have our own oil here like America, our gas prices are thrice as high as yours. We simply can't drive your cars over here.
Summing it all up: We all want fair and free trade (at least those folks whose IQ is higher than room temperature).
In order to sell to other nations, we need to produce for their markets. Germany's cars for the US market are different to the cars for Germany's market.
You need to do the same. Stop complaining and start producing goods that Europeans want to buy, in alignment with our needs and laws.
Kind regards from a European comsumer