The Commission for International Trade approves the agreement on tariff commitments between the European Union and the United States.

The International Trade Committee of the European Parliament approved on Tuesday two legislative acts that apply the tariff commitments of the European Union made through the EU-US joint declaration from August 2025.

The vote does not conclude the legislative procedure. The European Parliament as a whole is set to vote on the two regulations on June 16 in Strasbourg, after which the texts must also be approved by the Council.

In short

The International Trade Committee approved the provisional agreement with the Council regarding the application of EU-US tariff commitments.

The first legislative act concerns the adjustment of customs duties and the opening of tariff quotas for certain goods originating from the United States.

The second legislative act concerns the non-application of customs duties for the import of certain goods, including the extension of the zero-duty regime for some lobster-type products.

The texts include an expiration clause on December 31, 2029, if the tariff preferences are not renewed.

The plenary of the European Parliament will vote on the two regulations on June 16, and Council approval will be necessary for final adoption.

The two legislative acts were approved in the International Trade Committee with clear majorities. The text regarding the adjustment of customs duties and the opening of tariff quotas for the import of certain goods originating from the United States was supported by 31 MEPs, while 6 voted against and 3 abstained.

The second text, regarding the non-application of customs duties for the imports of certain goods, was approved with 32 votes in favor, 6 against, and 3 abstentions.

The provisional agreement between Parliament and Council was concluded on May 2, 2026. It applies the tariff part of the EU-US joint declaration published in August 2025, following the political agreement reached by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on July 27, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland.

The European Commission presented the two legislative proposals on August 28, 2025. The first proposal grants preferential access for certain American goods to the European Union market. The second extends the existing zero customs duty regime for imports of certain types of lobster.

MEPs introduced several amendments compared to the initial proposals of the Commission. The most important is the expiration clause, which stipulates that tariff preferences for industrial and agri-food imports will cease on December 31, 2029, if they are not renewed.

This clause transforms the agreement into a time-limited arrangement and offers European institutions the opportunity to reassess the commercial, economic, and political effects before extending the preferences.

The texts also include safeguard mechanisms to protect the industrial and agricultural sectors of the European Union. These guarantees are important because the preferential opening of the European market to certain American products may create pressure on European producers, especially in sensitive sectors.

The revised legislation also strengthens the suspension clauses. These allow the European Union to react if problems arise in the application of commitments or if the balance of the agreement is affected.

Another sensitive area concerns products derived from oil and aluminum. Parliament specifies that the texts establish clear conditions for the tariff reductions applicable to these derivatives, in a field that has been a source of trade tension between the European Union and the United States multiple times.

The agreement is relevant as it demonstrates the European Union's attempt to stabilize trade relations with the United States through concrete legal measures, after years marked by tariff disputes, pressures on the industry, and recurring negotiations regarding market access.

For the European Union, the stakes are double. On one hand, the application of the joint declaration can reduce uncertainty in transatlantic trade relations. On the other hand, the European Parliament seeks to limit the risk of tariff concessions without sufficient guarantees for exposed European sectors.

For European companies, the effect will depend on the exact list of targeted products, the size of the tariff quotas, and how the safeguard and suspension clauses will function. For sensitive agricultural and industrial sectors, the 2029 expiration clause will be a central element, as it sets a deadline for the reassessment of preferences.

For the United States, the texts approved in committee pave the way for preferential access to certain segments of the European market. At the same time, the conditions introduced by Parliament show that European approval is not unlimited and that tariff preferences remain linked to respecting the political and economic balance of the agreement.

The legislative procedure continues in the European Parliament. The plenary is set to vote on the two regulations on June 16 in Strasbourg. If the texts are approved by the plenary, the Council will also need to adopt them.

After formal approval by the two co-legislators of the European Union, the new legislative acts will enter into force on the day following their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The committee vote indicates political support for the application of the tariff commitments made in relation to the United States, but also the European Parliament's desire to maintain control instruments. In the form approved by the International Trade Committee, the agreement is not just a tax reduction, but a conditioned, temporary package accompanied by guarantees for European industries.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/comisia-pentru-comert-international-aproba-acordul-privind-angajamentele-tarifare-uniunea-europeana-statele-unite