A big majority of EU lawmakers agreed to chop EU tariffs on some US imports, as a primary step in the direction of implementing the 2025 deal, however additionally they sought extra safeguards.
Though the European Parliament has given its conditional approval to the EU-US commerce pact, earlier than the deal is applied by the bloc, it nonetheless must be negotiated with EU states.
The brand new risk on European vehicles “clarify why many small companies count on to be cautious” with Trump’s tariffs, stated Dan Anthony, who heads “We Pay the Tariffs,” a coalition of almost 1,200 small companies.
“You by no means know what would possibly set off the following tariff risk,” Anthony added in an announcement.
Trump’s newest announcement additionally got here a day after his renewed criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump advised Merz to concentrate on ending the Ukraine conflict as an alternative of “interfering” on Iran.
Germany would possible be hit arduous by a pointy tariff on vehicles and components, as it’s liable for a big quantity of EU auto exports.
In April, EU commerce chief Maros Sefcovic was in Washington to fulfill with counterparts together with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and commerce envoy Jamieson Greer.
On the time, he stated that the EU was additionally searching for extra progress in easing the consequences of still-steep US metal tariffs, including that talks had been stepping into a constructive route.
America is the second largest marketplace for new EU car exports, after the UK, in accordance with a 2025 truth sheet by the European Vehicle Producers’ Affiliation.
Over a fifth of EU car exports went to the USA.
Germany alone exported some 450,000 autos to the USA in 2024, in accordance with the VDA trade group. However that determine has since slipped.
