A European Parliament committee has backed the removal of tariffs on hundreds of goods from the United States
19 March 20:42
The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade has backed a proposal to lift tariffs on hundreds of American agricultural and industrial goods.
The decision was adopted with 29 votes in favor, 9 against, and one abstention, according to [Komersant].
This concerns the implementation of agreements between the European Union and the United States, known as the Turnberry Agreement.
What the agreement entails
The agreement provides for the reduction or elimination of tariffs on a significant portion of goods traded between the EU and the US.
Specifically, this applies to:
- certain agricultural products;
- industrial goods;
- a range of other product categories.
The parties reached a political agreement on this in July 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland.
Why Parliament previously blocked the agreement
The European Parliament twice refused to approve the agreement.
The reason was political and trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
In particular, lawmakers expressed concern about:
- the possible imposition of new tariffs against the EU;
- statements regarding territorial issues, including the debate over Greenland.
What conditions did the European Parliament set?
During the current vote, lawmakers agreed on compromise amendments that strengthen oversight of the agreement’s implementation.
Specifically:
- tariff preferences are limited until March 2028;
- the agreement may be terminated if the U.S. applies economic pressure or calls into question the territorial integrity of the EU;
- the European Commission will be able to intervene if imports from the US increase by more than 10% in a year.
The European Parliament’s Position
Bernd Lange, the rapporteur on this issue, stated that the Parliament seeks to retain control over the implementation of the agreements.
According to him, if the US imposes new tariffs against the EU or individual member states, the Parliament may suspend legislative work on tariff preferences.
“Tariff threats against one of us are a threat to all of us,” Lange said.
When the final decision will be made
The next step will be a vote at the European Parliament’s plenary session, scheduled for March 26 in Brussels.
If MEPs support the proposal:
- the Parliament will adopt its final position;
- negotiations with the Council of the EU on the final text of the agreement will begin.
Only then can the agreement enter into force.
