BRUSSELS — The European Parliament’s trade committee approved by a wide majority a compromise struck with EU governments and the Commission on legislation to implement a trade deal with the United States.
Lawmakers backed, by 31 votes to six, with three abstentions, changes to legislation under which the EU agreed to eliminate tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and some agricultural products — a key pillar of the agreement struck last summer at Donald Trump’s golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.
European institutions are now racing to complete the legislative process before July 4, when Trump has threatened to impose higher tariffs.
Tuesday’s vote follows months of internal EU wrangling, as lawmakers slowed their deliberations after Trump threatened to seize Greenland in January and the U.S. Supreme Court struck down much of his tariff agenda in February.
Overall, the European Parliament pushed to secure more guardrails against the risk that Trump again threatens the EU, including allowing the European Commission to suspend the tariff concessions if Washington doesn’t reduce duties on European steel and aluminum products by the end of 2026.
Under the Turnberry accord and subsequent joint statement, Washington committed to a 15 percent tariff cap on most EU exports. The Trump administration subsequently expanded the list of products containing steel, aluminum and copper that are subject to higher tariffs — a move MEPs objected to.
The EU institutions added a so-called sunset clause that would see the agreement expire in December 2029 — nearly a year after Trump is due to leave the White House.
The revised text also includes safeguards that would require the Commission to investigate whether U.S. exports pose a serious threat to domestic industries. This could lead to a partial or total suspension of the European tariff concessions.
Parliament’s plenary is now set to vote on the legislation on June 16, where the outcome is expected to be tighter, given that the transatlantic trade deal remains unpopular among some liberal and left-wing lawmakers.
