AnewZ Morning Brief - 9 September, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know...
The European Union is pressing Washington to roll back punitive tariffs on its exports and to promise no new duties, a senior law-maker said on Wednesday, as negotiators race to finalise a framework accord by 1 August.
The head of the European Parliament’s trade committee, German Social Democrat Bernd Lange, told reporters he saw “a corridor for some understanding” on levies that currently slap 50 % duties on EU steel, 25 % on cars and a blanket 10 % on most other goods bound for the United States.
Brussels wants the reductions to take effect as soon as a framework agreement is struck, rather than weeks later, and is demanding a “stand-still clause” that would bar any fresh U.S. measures while the full pact is drafted.
“So far there is no clear commitment from the U.S. side,” Mr Lange said.
The tariffs, revived and expanded by President Donald Trump earlier this year, threaten sectors worth tens of billions of dollars to the bloc. EU carmakers exported vehicles worth €38.9 billion (about $45.5 billion) to the United States in 2024, according to industry body ACEA. Steel lobby Eurofer warns that the 50 % duty endangers more than 3.8 million tonnes of annual EU shipments.
Commission officials, negotiating on behalf of the 27-nation bloc, say talks are “intensive” but give no timetable for a breakthrough. Diplomats note that Brussels is also weighing whether to keep its own retaliatory measures in reserve.
U.S. trade representatives have not commented publicly on the EU’s twin demands. Washington is preparing separate sector-specific levies of 50% on imported copper and new duties on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, moves EU officials argue would undermine any deal unless frozen.
Analysts warn that failure to secure early relief could spur European producers to divert investment outside the bloc.
“Uncertainty over tariffs is already holding up decisions on new low-carbon steel plants,” said one executive at a major EU mill.
Parliament must sign off on any final accord, giving Mr Lange’s committee leverage.
“Industry needs clarity more than anything,” he said. “A quick win on tariff relief would send a strong signal that transatlantic trade can still work in a rules-based way.”
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A New Zealand fugitive father shot dead by police put his children at risk with his actions and had "no regard" for their safety, authorities said on Tuesday, as police found quad bikes and ammunition at their campsite hideout.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said on Tuesday that one of its main boats was struck by a drone at a port in Tunisia, though all six passengers and crew were safe.
Thailand's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail because his detention in a VIP wing of a hospital in lieu of prison was unlawful, in another major blow for a powerful family that has dominated politics for two decades.
Israel's military on Tuesday ordered residents to evacuate from Gaza City ahead of a new offensive to seize the Strip's largest urban centre, part of a planned takeover stirring international alarm over the fate of the entire territory.
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