European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pencilled in a visit to Australia within the next few months in a sign of growing determination on both sides to strike a free trade deal as insurance against Donald Trump’s tariff war.

Trade Minister Don Farrell is in Paris this week for his first face-to-face talks with the Europeans since negotiations collapsed in October 2023. Von der Leyen has mooted a visit in either late July or early August in anticipation of signing a deal should one be reached by then.