European Parliament has paused ratification of the EU–US trade deal following US moves to impose unilateral import duties, raising doubts over the agreement’s future amid legal uncertainties and diplomatic tensions.
Members of the European Parliament have put the ratification of the EU–US trade agreement on hold after fresh moves by the White House to impose unilateral import duties, deepening uncertainty around a deal that was only recently revived.
Th...
Continue Reading This Article
Enjoy this article as well as all of our content, including reports, news, tips and more.
By registering or signing into your SRM Today account, you agree to SRM Today's Terms of Use and consent to the processing of your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy.
e pause was announced by Bernd Lange, chair of the Parliament’s trade committee, who told colleagues he would propose suspending legislative action until legal advice and firm commitments from Washington are obtained. “renegotiating the agreement.” appears possible, Lange added in a post on X, arguing that recent U.S. tariff decisions have altered the legal foundations of the Turnberry accord and raised questions about whether new duties under Section 122 of the U.S. Trade Act constitute a breach of the deal.
The dispute stems from President Donald Trump’s decision to invoke Section 122 to impose a temporary import duty, raising the global U.S. tariff rate to 15 percent from 10 percent. The White House described the February 20 proclamation as a measure to address “fundamental international payments problems” and to rebalance trade in favour of American workers, farmers and manufacturers, according to a fact sheet released by the administration.
European reactions have been swift and sceptical. Lange characterised the recent U.S. actions as “pure tariff chaos from the U.S. administration,” writing on X that the moves have produced “only open questions and growing uncertainty for the EU and other U.S. trading partners.” He urged the Parliament’s negotiating team to delay further work “until we have a proper legal assessment and clear commitments from the U.S. side.”
The Turnberry agreement, brokered between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Trump in July, locks in a framework that would set U.S. tariffs on many EU exports at 15 percent while the EU eliminates duties on a wide range of American industrial goods, including cars. But critics in Europe have warned the pact was sketched only in a short joint statement and lacks predictable legal safeguards. According to an AP report, business groups have complained the arrangement exposes European exporters to steep costs and volatility, particularly after Washington moved to widen tariff measures shortly after the text emerged.
Legal uncertainty in the United States compounds the diplomatic strain. U.S. courts are examining the administration’s authority to levy such tariffs, and the use of Section 122 , which permits surcharges of up to 15 percent for up to 150 days unless Congress approves an extension , has been singled out as legally fraught. The White House justification frames the measure as temporary and aimed at correcting a balance-of-payments deficit, according to the administration’s fact sheet.
The European Commission has sought to preserve room for negotiation even as mistrust grows. Commission officials including Trade Director-General Sabine Weyand have warned that rejecting the pact could produce worse outcomes for EU exporters, according to reporting by the Associated Press. At the same time, Brussels is pursuing alternative trade ties with partners such as Mexico and Mercosur to reduce reliance on a single market and diversify supply chains.
This is not the first time the Parliament has delayed its approval process in response to U.S. pressure. MEPs previously froze progress after a separate episode involving threats over Greenland; the committee later agreed to resume consideration in February, with a plenary vote planned for March, as reported by Euronews. The latest freeze, announced on February 23, follows the new tariff proclamation and a flurry of postelection trade signalling from Washington that has unsettled EU lawmakers.
European leaders, including Commission President von der Leyen, have repeatedly emphasised the value of the transatlantic relationship and expressed a willingness to engage in swift talks when opportunities arise. An earlier encounter between von der Leyen and Trump led to a temporary postponement of an announced higher tariff, with both sides indicating readiness to negotiate, according to an AP account of events in May 2025. But the ebb and flow of threats and concessions have left many European businesses and policymakers seeking firmer guarantees before endorsing a treaty that would reshape market access on both sides of the Atlantic.
With the Parliament holding the final say on adoption, Lange’s call for an evidence-based pause shifts the spotlight onto Brussels’ demand for clarity: legal analysis of the Turnberry deal’s durability and a U.S. pledge that tariff measures will not undercut the commitments struck in the July accord. Until those conditions are met, the legislative timetable for the agreement remains suspended, prolonging a period of precarious trade relations between the EU and the United States.
Source: Noah Wire Services
