BRUSSELS, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will "keep options open" to protect its interests if the United States takes measures inconsistent with the joint statement between the two sides signed last year on reciprocal, fair and balanced trade, a European Commission spokesperson told Xinhua on Friday.

"We remain fully committed to a predictable, mutually beneficial transatlantic relationship. Should the U.S. take measures inconsistent with the Joint Statement, we will keep our options open to protect EU interests," the spokesperson said.

The remarks came after Trump's latest threat earlier on the day that he would raise tariffs to 25 percent on cars and trucks imported from the EU from next week, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with the agreement.

"The EU is implementing its Joint Statement commitments in line with standard legislative practice, keeping the U.S. administration fully informed throughout," the spokesperson said, adding that the EU maintains close contact with its U.S. counterparts while also seeking clarity on Washington's commitments under the deal.

The spokesperson referred to the EU-U.S. trade deal reached last year, under which the EU would suspend tariffs on all U.S. industrial products and introduce tariff-rate quotas for a wide range of U.S. agri-food products entering the EU market. In return, the United States would apply a 15-percent import tariff on most EU goods. ■