European Parliament finally approves Trump tariff deal

The European Parliament on Tuesday, June 16, officially approved the tariff agreement reached with Donald Trump last summer. The deal was originally struck in July 2025 at Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland, but its ratification in the European Union took nearly a year due to democratic procedures.

The agreement contains two main provisos. First, a sunset clause meaning the deal expires on December 31, 2029, unless renewed. Second, clear conditions for tariff reductions on products containing steel and aluminium – tariffs that Trump imposed under national security laws rather than the tariff regime he instituted last April.

Under the deal, the US applies 15% on most EU exports, while the EU has cut import duties on some US goods, including agricultural products and a wide range of seafood, to 0%. The deal is expected to be formally adopted by EU leaders when they meet in Brussels on Thursday.

However, relations soured when the US, citing national security concerns, imposed tariffs on products with steel or aluminium content – something Brussels has frequently protested. The agreement allows the European Commission to suspend tariff preferences for US goods by December 31, 2026, if the US continues to apply tariffs on steel derivatives. The Commission must report to Parliament on the matter by December 1.

Furthermore, by June 30, 2029 – six months after the end of Trump's presidency – the Commission is required to assess the impact of the 0% tariffs on EU industry and small- to medium-sized businesses.

MEPs suspended the ratification process twice this year through the international trade committee: first in protest against Trump's threat to impose higher tariffs in January, and later over his threat to take over Greenland. Although the US Supreme Court has already ruled the 15% tariff at the heart of the deal illegal, the EU agreed to maintain the agreement to achieve stability for businesses and industry.