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Implementation of certain tariff aspects of the 2025 Framework on an EU-US Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade (‘Framework Agreement’)

In “International Trade - INTA”

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State of play

On 24 February 2026, Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA) was set to adopt two legislative reports, drafted by the standing rapporteur for the US and INTA chair, Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany). These reports would feed into Parliament's first reading position, which was scheduled to be adopted during the March 2026 plenary, on two Commission proposals for implementing the EU's tariff commitments under the 2025 EU-US framework agreement.

Following the US Supreme Court landmark tariff ruling of 20 February 2026, Bernd Lange on 23 February 2026 stated – after a meeting with the INTA shadow rapporteurs – that, given the new circumstances, a majority of political group representatives has agreed that the two legislative files 'should be put on hold until clarity, stability and legal certainty in EU-US trade relations are re-established'.

On 4 February 2026, INTA chair Lange issued a statement announcing that: 'A majority of shadow rapporteurs of the International Trade Committee have today decided to resume work on the two Turnberry legislative proposals. A vote could therefore potentially take place at the next committee meeting on 24 February.' 

In the wake of US President Trump's tariff threats targeting several EU Member States in connection with the US approach to Greenland, on 21 January 2026 INTA chair Lange announced that INTA's work on the implementation of the two legislative files will be suspended 'until the US decides to re-engage on a path of cooperation rather than confrontation, and before any further steps are taken.'

The Council adopted its position on both files on 21 November 2025. While the Council adopted the Commission proposal relating to EU imports of lobster without modifications, it added three elements to the other Commission proposal regarding full and partial liberalisation of imports of US industrial and agricultural goods respectively:

1) It strengthened the safeguard measures; 2) it broadened the reference to the use of non-preferential rules of origin; and 3) it added a review clause and provisions on the monitoring of the economic impact of the trade liberalisation measures on the EU.

Chair Lange published his draft report for both legislative files on 21 October 2025. In its meeting of 4 November 2025, INTA held a joint debate on both files. INTA considered amendments during a joint debate on 2 December 2025.

Veronica Vrecionová (ECR, Czechia) drafted the AGRI draft opinion for 2025/0261(COD) for which amendments were tabled on 20 November 2025.

Danuše Nerudová (EPP, Czechia) drafted the Committee on budgets (BUDG) draft opinion for 2025/0260(COD), Sandra Gómez López (S&D, Spain) for 2025/0261(COD). Amendments to the two draft opinions were tabled on 2 December 2025. BUDG MEPs voted on the two draft opinions/amendments on 11 December 2025.

On 24 September 2025, INTA chair Lange, was appointed rapporteur for both Commission proposals, published on 28 August 2025 and described below.

Shadow rapporteurs for both files are: Željana Zovko (EPP, Croatia), Anna Bryłka (PfE, Poland), Dominik Tarczyński (ECR, Poland), Karin Karlsbro (Renew, Sweden), Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA, Germany), Martin Schirdewan (The Left, Germany), and Markus Buchheit (ESN, Germany).

Commission proposals

1) One proposal (COM(2025)471) eliminates customs duties on about 34% of EU industrial goods imports from the US in 2024 (66% of total industrial goods imports from the US in 2024 entered the EU already duty-free). It also partially liberalises certain seafood and agricultural goods by opening TRQs for these goods. The Commission estimates that the impact on the EU budget from customs duties foregone would amount to €3.6 billion per year.

2) The other proposal (COM(2025)472) prolongs an elimination of customs duties on certain types of lobster granted in 2020 for a five-year period until 31 July 2025 and expands the scope of this concession to processed lobster. The Commission estimates that the customs duties foregone would amount to €7.5 million per year.

Both proposals contain general suspension provisions. Neither proposal includes a sunset clause for the full or partial tariff liberalisation nor a review clause.

EU-US Framework Agreement

In July 2025, the EU and the US reached a political agreement on tariff and trade issues which was outlined in greater detail in an August 2025 Joint Statement announcing an EU-US Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade (Framework Agreement).

The US committed inter alia

  • to apply to most imports from the EU 'the higher of either the US Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff rate or a tariff rate of 15%, comprised of the MFN tariff and a reciprocal tariff';
  • to apply as of 1st September 2025 only the MFN tariff to imports from the EU of unavailable natural resources (including cork), all aircraft and aircraft parts, generic pharmaceuticals and their ingredients and chemical precursors;
  • to apply a tariff not exceeding 15% to imports from the EU of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber that are subject to Section 232 tariffs;
  • to exempt from Section 232 tariffs EU car and car parts with an MFN tariff of 15% or higher as of 1 August 2025.

The EU committed inter alia

  • to apply zero tariffs on all industrial goods imports from the US not yet duty-free and to open zero-tariff tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for a range of non-sensitive seafood and agricultural imports from the US;
  • to prolong the expiring duty-free imports of lobster and to add processed lobster, on an erga omnes basis.

The US has so far implemented its commitments through Executive Order 14236 of 31 July 2025 and Executive Order 14346 of 4 September 2025, while at the same time pursuing a very dynamic tariff policy, for instance by adding as of 19 August 2025 some 407 product categories to the Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs of 50% and by opening new Section 232 investigations.

References

Further reading

Author: Gisela Grieger, Members' Research Service, legislative-train@europarl.europa.eu

As of 20/02/2026.