The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached an agreement on tariffs as part of a trade deal with the United States, a Council press release says.
The agreement provides for the implementation of tariff-related elements of the EU-US Joint Statement of August 21, 2025.
Under the framework, the US agreed to apply a maximum 15% tariff on European products, while the EU had not yet moved to remove tariffs on most US imports, a delay that had drawn criticism from President Donald Trump.
The agreement aims to “strengthen stable and predictable transatlantic trade relations, while ensuring robust safeguards and maintaining flexibility to protect the EU’s economic interests when necessary,” the Council says.
One regulation removes tariffs on US industrial goods and expands preferential access for US seafood and selected non-sensitive agricultural products through tariff rate quotas and reduced duties. A second regulation concerns lobster imports, extending tariff-free treatment for processed lobster.
The deal also includes a safeguard mechanism allowing the EU to react if US imports surge and harm domestic producers, or if Washington fails to comply with the terms of the joint statement.
In addition, the European Commission will be able to suspend tariff preferences on steel and aluminium if US tariffs remain above 15% on EU exports by the end of 2026.
The agreement is set to expire at the end of 2029 unless renewed or replaced. The EU and US together account for nearly 30% of global trade and around 43% of global GDP, with bilateral trade reaching about €1.7 trillion in 2024.
