Dhaka, Feb. 13 -- The European Union should focus on negotiating with Washington to avert a transatlantic trade war while being ready with countermeasures, Germany's economy ministry said on Wednesday, ahead of a video conference of EU ministers.

Ministers responsible for trade from the EU's 27 members will meet online from 4pm (1500 GMT) to discuss the EU response to US President Donald Trump's decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports from March 12.

uropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called those tariffs unjustified and said they would "trigger firm and proportionate countermeasures".

One EU diplomat said it was time to be "cool-headed," with a month still to go before the tariffs tak...