BRUSSELS: Brussels. Members of the European Parliament (EU) gave the green light, albeit with conditions, to the bloc's trade agreement with US President Donald Trump.
Brussels and Washington reached an agreement last summer that set tariffs of 15 percent on most European products.
The MEPs approved by a wide majority (417 votes in favor, 150 against) the elimination of tariffs applied in the EU to most US imports, as promised by the European Commission, in exchange for Trump limiting tariffs on European products to 15 percent.
However, they accompanied this approval with multiple safeguards, suspensive conditions, and even an expiration clause (set for March 2028) to denounce the unbalanced nature of the agreement and express their deep distrust of the US president, who uses tariffs as a diplomatic weapon.
European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič hailed the agreement as a “crucial step” for Europe and the United States, while the US ambassador to the EU called the decision “good news for citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Negotiated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the agreement was seen in Europe as a capitulation to Trump.
AFP
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