EU plans to halt trade deal with US amid Trump's tariff threats
Photo: EU plans to freeze trade agreement with the United States (Getty Images)
Members of the European Parliament believe that the trade agreement between the EU and the United States no longer has prospects and plan to halt the ratification process. This stance emerged after statements by US President Donald Trump about imposing tariffs on opponents of the purchase of Greenland, according to Bloomberg.
Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, said on Saturday that approval of the EU–US trade agreement is currently impossible.
"The EPP is in favor of the EU-US trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage," Weber posted on social media. He added that the EU agreement to lower tariffs on "US products must be put on hold."
According to Bloomberg, the trade deal that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached with Trump in the summer of 2025 has already been partially implemented but still requires final ratification by the European Parliament.
The agreement envisaged the US imposing a 15% tariff on most EU goods in exchange for Brussels committing to remove tariffs on US industrial products and certain agricultural goods. Von der Leyen accepted these terms in an effort to avert a full-scale trade war.
However, an influential group of MEPs criticized the deal from the outset, calling it one-sided and favorable to Washington. Discontent intensified after the United States, despite the July agreement, introduced 50% tariffs on steel, aluminum, and hundreds of other EU products.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, said work on implementing the agreement should be suspended until the US withdraws its threats. He also urged the EU to activate the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), the bloc’s most powerful tool to respond to economic pressure, which has never been used before. The instrument allows for retaliatory tariffs, additional taxes on technology companies, or restrictions on access to public procurement.
Members of the Parliament’s trade committee have already held initial consultations and plan to meet again in a week. Meanwhile, Danish MEP Per Clausen has gathered 30 signatures on a letter to parliamentary leadership calling for the agreement with the US to be "frozen."
Trump has said that starting February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face a 10% tariff on all goods shipped to the US, with the rate set to rise to 25% from June 1. According to the White House, the measures would remain in place until an agreement is reached on what Trump has described as the "full and final purchase of Greenland."
Earlier, it was reported that EU ambassadors would convene for an emergency meeting amid the latest US tariff threats, while EU leaders have already issued statements in response.
