EU-US agreement on tariff reductions

24.8.2020

Priority question for written answer P-004604/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Samira Rafaela (Renew)

On 21 August 2020, the Commission and the United States Trade Representative reached an agreement eliminating tariffs on imports of frozen and live lobster to the EU while reducing US import tariffs on certain EU products entering the US market [1] . The agreement also sets a precedent for establishing sectoral agreements under the EU’s trade policy.

• 1.Will ‘mini deals’ of this type form part of the EU’s trade policy in the event that a comprehensive trade agreement proves unattainable?
• 2.Does the Commission take into account the possible electoral consequences of sectoral agreements, especially when an agreement is concluded less than 100 days before an election [2] ?
• 3.Can the Commission describe what criteria and standards, including animal welfare, it uses when determining the liberalisation of tariffs for certain products, in this case live and frozen lobster products?

• [1] https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=2178
• [2] https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-08-21/eu-gives-trump-trade-gift-to-u-s-lobster-industry-gop-senator