EU calls on US to meet trade deal commitments amid escalating tariff issues
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič urged the US to honour the EU-US trade deal during a meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Paris.
The US currently imposes tariffs on EU goods that can exceed 30%, significantly deviating from the agreed 15% cap, impacting bilateral trade relations.
“We urge the US to honour its commitments under the Turnberry agreement, maintaining the all-inclusive 15% tariff rate,” stated EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
Key developments
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on Tuesday called on the US to honour the EU-US trade deal during discussions in Paris, amid rising tensions over its implementation.
During the meeting, Šefčovič highlighted the need for a swift return to the agreed tariff cap of 15%, as current US tariffs on EU goods approach 30% for certain products.
Negotiations among EU governments and European Parliament members remain fraught, with calls for safeguards from MEPs that depend on US compliance with the agreement.
EU trade chief urges US to ‘swiftly’ restore 15% tariff arrangement
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EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on Tuesday urged the US to honour its side of the EU-US trade deal during a meeting in Paris with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Tensions have escalated in recent days over the implementation of the EU-US trade deal reached almost a year ago in Turnberry, Scotland, after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on EU cars, in breach of the agreement capping US tariffs on EU goods at 15%.
The agreement was further shaken in February after the White House introduced new tariffs following a US Supreme court ruling declaring the 2025 tariffs illegal.
A European Commission spokesperson said Tuesday that during the 90-minute meeting with Greer, Šefčovič called for a “swift return” to the agreed Turnberry terms, meaning “a 15% all-inclusive tariff rate.”
The US currently imposes a 10% tariff on EU goods on top of duties already in place before Trump’s return to the White House in 2025, with rates varying across EU products. Combined duties can now reach as much as 30% on certain EU exports, such as cheese, exceeding the 15% cap established in the EU–US agreement.
During the meeting, Šefčovič also updated his counterpart on the EU’s implementation of the agreement, the spokesperson said, “to clarify” where the EU “stands.”
Washington wants Brussels to accelerate the EU legislative process needed to implement the deal, including the bloc’s commitment to cut tariffs on US industrial goods to zero.
But negotiations between EU governments and Members of the European Parliament remain tense.
MEPs want to add safeguards that would make EU tariff cuts conditional on the US implementing its side of the agreement. They are also pushing for a “sunset clause” that would terminate the deal in March 2028 unless renewed.
The European Parliament’s position is backed by France, while Germany and other member states want to preserve the original agreement struck in July 2025 by Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
A round of negotiation is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
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