European Parliament and EU countries are gearing up for the final stretch of the EU-US trade deal negotiation, in crunch talks amid growing pressure from Donald Trump’s administration.
On Tuesday at 9 pm, in the Parliament in Strasbourg, lawmakers and diplomats are set to discuss again the implementation of the deal, which would cut European tariffs on US goods to zero and set a 15% cap for American tariffs on European products. Time is running out, as the deal should be finalized before June to be approved by the Parliament’s next plenary session the same month and comply with Trump’s deadline.
After a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week, the US president said he would give the EU until 4 July to implement its commitments, before he raises tariffs on EU goods, including cars, to "much higher levels."
Parliament and Council have in the meantime reached a provisional deal to make the trade agreement suspendable in the event of a market disruption caused by a surge in US imports, but other details remain to be fixed, and political groups are not fully aligned.
In particular, the so-called “sunrise clause”, which defines when the agreement would begin to apply. The EU Parliament wants it to start only once Washington complies with the 15% tariff cap, while the Commission and several member states prefer it to kick off immediately.
