While the European Commission and the White House have set up a high-level task force to negotiate, Macron aims to use his political clout to push the case for waivers at the highest level during his state visit.
EU governments want a solution quickly, with arrangements possibly agreed at the EU-US Business and Technology Council meeting on 5 December.
Even though no one wants to reignite trade tensions that plagued transatlantic ties during the Trump administration, European officials say bringing the issue to the WTO is an option if talks go nowhere.
However, a riposte from Europe would face resistance from countries traditionally friendly to free trade, such as the Netherlands and Sweden.