EU and US trade negotiators were locked in intense talks late into Saturday night ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland on Sunday, as Brussels strives for a deal with Washington to avoid an economically damaging transatlantic tariff war.

The European Commission president will meet the US president on Sunday afternoon at his luxury golf resort in Scotland for talks that EU negotiators hope will seal a trade pact to avoid 30 per cent US tariffs on European goods and a probable retaliation by Brussels.

Negotiators are circling a deal that would set tariffs of about 15 per cent on most US imports from the EU, mirroring a pact the US struck with Japan this week, but critical gaps remain on steel, cars and some other products.