Euronews’in has received information from two sources close to the talks that EU lawmakers have reached an interim agreement to make the EU-U.S. trade agreement suspendable if the increase in U.S. imports disrupts the market.
Under pressure from the Trump administration, intense negotiations are underway between EU governments and the European Parliament over the implementation of an agreement to reduce EU tariffs on US goods to zero.
The US has suggested that an agreement on the quick implementation of the agreement would double tariffs on European cars if it is not approved by the European Parliament by July 4, ’.
Since the deal was signed between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last summer, MEPs have been pushing for tougher conditions, arguing that the deal should not become a tool to blackmail AB’.
Although tariffs are not stackable, the U.S. expects tariffs on EU goods entering ’ to triple, while U.S. industrial goods will be reduced to zero. Members of the European Parliament are postponing the vote on the implementation of the agreement, arguing that it should be rebalanced and contain clauses that protect AB’'s interests.
In recent days, a temporary compromise has been reached on a protection mechanism that allows AB’ to reimpose tariffs on U.S. industrial goods if the increase in imports disrupts the European market. Details of the content of the article are still being discussed.
The negotiators also agreed in principle on the addition of a “ termination clause, which would automatically terminate the agreement if it was not renewed. Sources said parliament initially wanted a deadline of March 2028, but the final timeline was under negotiation.
‘Sunrise’ substance created tension
However, discussions are still underway over the “ proposal, which determines when the agreement will begin to be implemented. A source said that the EU Parliament wanted the ’ implementation date to begin only after Washington ’ complied with the 15% ’ tariff ceiling, while the Commission said that ’ opposed this situation and wanted it to be done immediately.
The sunrise clause was introduced by lawmakers in February after the U.S. Supreme Court declared ’'s 2025 U.S. tariffs illegal; This led Washington ’ to impose new taxes on EU goods above the ceiling currently considered average, thereby violating the agreement.
The European Commission is also pressing for the removal of references to the AB’'s Anti-Pressure Tool, which is seen as the AB’'s commercial bazooka, which could restrict US’'s access to the European single market in unprecedented ways.
One source said the Commission would also back down against provisions allowing the deal to be suspended if Trump’ threatened the bloc's territorial integrity again.
Following Trump’'s threat to target EU countries that refused to support the US ’'s purchase of Greenland’ earlier this year, lawmakers added provisions allowing the deal to be suspended in the event of threats to AB’'s territorial integrity.
The Anti-Forcing Tool is one of AB’'s most powerful market defense tools, designed to counter economic pressure from third countries, including restrictions on licenses and intellectual property rights. Its use has been debated many times over the past year at the height of transatlantic trade tensions, but it has never been approved.
EU negotiators aim to close the deal by July 4, which Trump’ has set for June, before a plenary vote at the European Parliament's ’ in the same month.
