Argentine minister meets U.S. trade chiefs over tariffs

BUENOS AIRES, April 3 (Reuters) - Argentina's foreign minister met with top U.S. trade officials on Thursday, the government said, aiming to strike a deal to walk back tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump slapped on countries around the world the day before.

The Washington meeting between Argentina's Gerardo Werthein, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, is one of the first such in-person attempts to defuse tariffs since Trump unveiled them on Wednesday.

Trump announced on Wednesday a minimum tariff of 10% on nearly all imports into the United States, with rates going far higher for countries in Europe and Asia. Argentina, like much of Latin America, received the lowest 10% level of tariffs.

In a statement, the Argentine ministry said that the meeting had been "cordial and friendly" and that the South American country would look to address issues raised in a U.S. report on trade barriers.

"After analyzing the issues identified in the report prepared by the United States trade office, the corresponding adjustments are already in the process of being implemented and are expected to be completed in the coming days," it said.

Governments around the world are looking for ways to dodge the tariffs and strike deals with the White House.

Argentina - a producer of grains, lithium and energy, which had some $13-16 billion worth of bilateral trade with the United States last year - is looking to build on ideological ties between Trump and its libertarian President Javier Milei.

Milei is currently traveling in the United States and it is expected that he could meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home.