The European Parliament’s trade chief has urged a temporary suspension of the EU–U.S. trade agreement approval, citing “tariff chaos” following President Donald Trump’s new 15% tariffs and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling invalidating his previous global tariff programme.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, said on Sunday that he will propose formally pausing the ratification of the trade deal until clarity and legal certainty are provided by the U.S. He plans to submit the proposal on Monday, emphasising that further steps should be delayed until the U.S. makes clear commitments.
The European Commission had demanded earlier that the United States honour the terms of last year’s EU–U.S. trade agreement.
The Commission, which negotiates trade policy for the 27 EU member states, said Washington must provide “full clarity” on its next steps, stressing that “a deal is a deal” and warning that unpredictable tariffs undermine confidence in global markets.
On Friday (20 February), the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs under an economic emergency law.
Within hours, the president announced a temporary 10% tariff on nearly all imports, before raising it to 15% on Saturday, the maximum permitted under Section 122 of U.S. trade law without extended congressional approval.
Last year’s EU-U.S. agreement set a 15% U.S. tariff rate for most EU goods, with exemptions for certain sectors such as aircraft and spare parts, while the EU agreed to lift duties on many American products and suspend retaliatory measures.
The Commission said EU products must continue to benefit from the “most competitive treatment” under the agreed ceiling and confirmed that EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič had discussed the issue with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Despite the court ruling, Trump signalled he would continue pursuing alternative legal avenues to impose tariffs, saying he would use the 150-day window under Section 122 to develop other “legally permissible” trade measures.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying ...
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature&rs...
A drone hit a petrol station in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said an attack on a train near the Polish border was an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's allies.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A drone hit a petrol station in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv early on Tuesday, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that there was also a strike on warehouse facilities in another part of the city.
University students in Mexico have held a vigil for a 21-year-old Spanish exchange student killed in the central state of Morelos, with authorities investigating her death as a possible feminicide.
Every day since a torrent of mud and rocks destroyed a Nepal-China border crossing high up in the Himalayas last month, Arushi Gupta's parents have called and messaged their missing daughter hoping she somehow survived.
Foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand delivered opening statements on Tuesday at the first meeting of a UN arbitration process to resolve a long-running maritime dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
A federal judge has halted a Trump administration immigration policy that would have significantly changed how long foreign students, exchange visitors and international journalists can remain in the United States.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment