EU states gave their final approval Thursday to a year-old tariff deal with the United States, allowing it to enter into force ahead of a July 4 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Struck between Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in July 2025, the deal sets levies of %15 on most of EU exports to the U.S., and zero tariffs for U.S. industrial goods coming into the 27-nation bloc.
But the EU had yet to fulfil its side of the accord – after Trump's threats to Greenland and a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down many of his tariffs fuelled months of delay.
The sign-off by member states – who had already agreed the deal in substance – clears the final legislative hurdle on the EU side, following parliament's approval earlier this month.
The deal's approval "confirms the EU's commitment to a stable, predictable and mutually beneficial transatlantic trade relationship, while preserving the necessary guardrails to protect European economic interests," an EU statement said.
