EU reaches deal to cut tariffs on US imports

The European Union reached a provisional agreement regarding legislation that will remove customs duties on certain goods imported from the United States, a key step toward implementing the trade deal agreed with Washington in July last year.

The measure could help avoid higher tariffs that the United States has threatened to impose on European products, TVP World reports, CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.

The trade agreement was negotiated in July 2025 at the Turnberry golf complex in Scotland, owned by U.S. President Donald Trump. Under the deal, the EU committed to eliminating tariffs on a range of American industrial goods and granting preferential access for U.S. agricultural and fishery products. In return, the United States will apply 15% tariffs on most EU exports.

Nearly ten months after the framework was established, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, which represents member state governments, have agreed on the necessary legislative text. The decision clears the way for tariff reductions to take effect but includes safeguard mechanisms in case the Trump administration fails to meet its commitments.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement in a message posted on X.

She said she welcomed the deal between the European Parliament and the Council on reducing tariffs for U.S. industrial exports to the EU, adding that the EU will soon fulfill its part of the joint EU–US declaration as promised.

Von der Leyen added that “stable, predictable, balanced and mutually beneficial” transatlantic trade is in the interest of both sides.

Donald Trump warned that he would impose significantly higher tariffs on European goods, including automobiles, if the EU does not meet its commitments by July 4, 2026. He had previously threatened to raise tariffs on imported cars from 15% to 25%.

Croatian MEP Željana Zovko, the lead negotiator for the European People’s Party group on the file, said the agreement will provide a more stable framework for EU–US trade relations while leaving room for further talks on unresolved issues, particularly in the steel and aluminum sectors.

The legislative process was delayed twice due to new tariff threats from Trump and a U.S. Supreme Court decision annulling part of previously imposed global tariffs.

The final vote in the European Parliament is expected in mid-June, allowing the EU to meet Washington’s deadline.

Photo: Chat GPT