The largest political groups in the European Parliament have said they want to suspend the approval of the trade agreement with the United States following US President Donald Trump's latest tariff twists, Bloomberg reports.
The EU will likely further delay ratifying its trade deal with the US after Trump imposed global tariffs of 15% over the weekend, using a different law after the Supreme Court struck down his existing tariffs. Now, several MEPs are concerned that there is too little clarity over US trade policy to continue the ratification process.
"The current situation is not conducive to delivering 'fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial' transatlantic trade and investment, as agreed to by both sides," the European Commission said in a statement. "A deal is a deal."
Member states have approved the agreement, and the Parliament's Trade Committee INTA had planned to vote on the file on Tuesday. However, several major groups, including the centre-right EPP, the centre-left S&D and the liberal Renew faction, want additional information from Washington first.
Croatian MEP and negotiator Željana Zovko told Bloomberg that postponement currently seems to be the only option, given the uncertainty that has arisen following recent rulings by the US Supreme Court on trade powers and tariffs.
INTA chair Bernd Lange has also called an emergency meeting on Monday to re-evaluate the agreement. The German MEP had previously indicated that Parliament should pause its work until there is more clarity about the new US import tariffs.
"We need clarity and stability, and therefore it could be that we decide [to hold]," Lange told the Financial Times. In a separate statement, he condemned the "pure tariff chaos from the US government. No one can make sense of it anymore."
