The European Parliament will not approve the trade agreement between the EU and the United States after the new tariff decision
Following US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would impose additional tariffs on European countries in relation to Greenland, the main political groups in the European Parliament (EP) announced that they would not approve the trade agreement reached between the EU and the US last July.
The leaders of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, along with the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and Renewed Europe, called Trump's statements "unacceptable" and said the approval process for the agreement should be stopped.
EPP President Manfred Weber said that due to threats against Greenland, approval of the trade agreement is "impossible" at this stage. He stressed that the suspension of the agreement, which provides for zero tariffs on American products, has become inevitable.
S&D President Iratche Garcia Perez criticized Trump's decision to impose duties of up to 25% on European allies supporting Greenland, calling it "imperialist pressure." She said the EU should act immediately, suspend negotiations and activate its "anti-coercion tools."
New Europe leader Valerie Hyer also called Trump's threat to impose tariffs on countries that do not support his plan to annex Greenland "unacceptable." Arguing that the US has recently taken a number of aggressive steps against the EU, Heyer said that it is now necessary to "be a deterrent." She also announced that her group would not participate in the vote on the EU-US Turnberry trade agreement.
Following Trump's decision to impose additional tariffs on eight European countries, the ambassadors of the EU member states were called to an extraordinary meeting in Brussels, where, as expected, an assessment of the situation will be given.
Trade agreement and tariff tensions
Trump announced last July after meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the trade agreement between the parties had been finalized. According to the agreement, the EU will not impose duties on goods from the United States, while the United States will apply a 15% tariff on goods from the EU. The agreement requires the approval of the European Parliament to enter into force.
However, in a statement yesterday, Trump railed against European countries opposing the purchase of Greenland by the United States and announced new tariffs against Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. According to the announcement, these eight countries will face a 10% tariff from February 1, 2026, which will increase to 25% from June 1, 2026. Trump said the tariffs will remain in effect until an agreement is reached.