EU parliament halts implementation of customs deal with US

The European Parliament has formally suspended the implementation of the customs agreement between the US and the EU.

The background to this is the new tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, according to the chairman of the trade committee, Bernd Lange (SPD). “We want a clear assurance from the United States that they will adhere to the agreement, as this is the crucial element,” Lange said in the committee. The decision has no legal impact on currently applicable tariffs.

Following a decision by the US Supreme Court against his tariff policy, Trump announced a global tariff rate of 10 percent on imports into the US on Friday, increasing it to 15 percent on Saturday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had agreed last summer that a maximum tariff should not be exceeded for most EU imports into the US. The legally binding agreement subsequently drafted with the US still needs to be approved by the EU Parliament.

The implementation of the agreement was initiated by the European Commission months ago. However, its execution requires the approval of the Parliament and the member states for the corresponding regulations. Lange announced a meeting of parliamentarians to vote on the matter next week.

Paused during Greenland conflict

The members of parliament had already temporarily suspended preparations for implementation in January. This followed US President Trump's threat of extra tariffs during the Greenland conflict. The agreement provides for the duty-free import of US industrial goods. In return, the US committed last summer to limiting tariffs on most EU imports to a maximum of 15 percent. As part of this, tariffs on cars were reduced.

Setback for Trump in court

In a historic ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court prohibited the US president from imposing tariffs on imports from many countries by invoking an emergency law from 1977 (IEEPA). The aggressive tariff policy is a core element of Trump's second term. He announced that he would use other means to continue enforcing his tariffs.

Trump is now citing a trade act from 1974. This allows tariffs to be imposed on imports for up to 150 days under certain conditions. Experts already doubt that these conditions are met. To impose tariffs for a longer period, Trump would in any case need the approval of the US Congress.

The Supreme Court did not rule on tariffs in general, but only on whether Trump's reasoning based on the emergency law was legal. It is now clear that he has overstepped his authority.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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