European Parliament | Trade Committee Approves Deal on EU-US Trade Agreement

On Tuesday, the International Trade Committee gave its green light to two pieces of legislation implementing EU tariff commitments under the August 2025 EU-US Joint Statement.

MEPs on the International Trade Committee (INTA) approved the provisional agreement, reached on 2 May 2026 with the EU Council, implementing EU tariff commitments under the August 2025 EU-US Joint Statement.

The two legislative acts were adopted by 31 votes in favour, 6 against, and with 3 abstentions (adjustment of customs duties and opening of tariff quotas for the import of certain goods originating in the US); and 32 votes in favour, 6 against, and with 3 abstentions (non-application of customs duties on imports of certain goods).

The revised legislation strengthens several elements of the Commission proposals. It introduces a sunset clause, establishing that tariff preferences on industrial and agri-food imports will expire on 31 December 2029 unless renewed. It also includes safeguard mechanisms to protect the EU’s industrial and agricultural sectors, reinforces the suspension clause provisions, and sets clear conditions for tariff reductions on steel and aluminum derivatives.

Next steps

Parliament as a whole will vote on the two regulations on Tuesday 16 June in Strasbourg. It will then be the turn of Council to approve the agreed texts.

Once formally approved by the EU co-legislators, the new legislation will enter into force on the day after its publication in the EU’s Official Journal.

Background

On 27 July 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland, US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached a deal on tariff and trade issues, outlined in a joint statement published on 25 August. On 28 August, the Commission published two legislative proposals aimed at implementing the tariff-related aspects of the statement. The first provides preferential access for US goods to the EU; the second extends the existing zero-tariff regime on imports of certain types of lobster.

Compliments of the European Parliament