European Parliament votes on US tariff deal with sweeping tariff cuts

European lawmakers will today decide on the legal basis for a trade agreement with the United States, under which the EU would remove most tariffs on imports of American industrial and agricultural products.

Together with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, they will also discuss the situation in the Middle East and the protection of the EU’s eastern border following recent drone incidents, CE Report quotes STA.

Members of the European Parliament, who are meeting this week in Strasbourg, face one of today’s key votes. They will decide on the legal framework for reducing or abolishing tariffs on imports of industrial goods and certain agricultural products from the US to the EU, in line with an agreement reached last July in Scotland between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump.

The agreement sets a 15 percent tariff on most EU exports to the US. The EU, in turn, has committed to removing tariffs on imports of US industrial goods and granting preferential access to its market for American seafood and non-sensitive agricultural products. For products such as dairy, fruit, soybean oil, and pork and bison meat, the EU will reduce tariffs or introduce tariff quotas.

MEPs will also debate the situation in the Middle East today, with Kaja Kallas joining the discussion. Washington and Tehran reportedly reached an agreement overnight on ending a four-month war, which also includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. In light of security incidents and recent drone incursions into Romania, Finland, and the Baltic states, allegedly attributed to Russia, they will discuss strengthening air defence to protect the EU’s eastern border.

MEPs will also vote on banning AI systems used to create fake and sexually explicit content using a person’s photos or videos without their consent.

Photo: Instagram/kajakallas