EU Committee Backs Tariff Cuts to Avert US Trade Clash

A European Parliament committee has backed the abolition of import tariffs on a range of US products, paving the way for the completion of a trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. Thirty-one MEPs voted in favor, six against and three abstained.

The measure follows an agreement reached last year between Brussels and the administration of US President Donald Trump. Under the deal, the EU committed to removing tariffs on US industrial goods and giving some US agricultural and seafood products more favorable access to the European market. In return, it accepted US tariffs of 15% on most European exports.

Although 10 months have passed since the agreement was concluded, the EU has not yet fulfilled all its commitments. Trump has warned that if Brussels does not take the necessary steps by 4 July, the United States could impose even higher tariffs on European products.

The approved legislation also keeps zero tariffs on imports of American lobsters, which were covered by a separate agreement during Trump’s first term in office.

The proposal still needs approval from the full European Parliament, but the committee vote points to a high probability of adoption. Some MEPs have also pushed through safeguards allowing trade concessions to be suspended if Washington breaches the agreement. They are also proposing that the deal should automatically expire in 2029 unless renewed through new legislation.

(reuters, max)