Negotiations between the EU and the United States to strike a last-minute trade deal are "ongoing," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, with only eight days to go before new US tariffs on the bloc take effect.

The European Union and the US are progressing toward an agreement that would set a 15% tariff for most imports, according to diplomats briefed on the negotiations.

The European Commission said on Thursday a negotiated trade solution with the United States is within reach - while EU members voted to approve counter-tariffs on 93 billion euros ($109 billion) of U.