Agreement reached on US tariffs brings certainty for European businesses

The EPP Group welcomes the agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the EU-US Framework Agreement on Trade, known as the “Turnberry” deal, as an important step towards easing transatlantic trade tensions and restoring certainty for European businesses and workers.

The EPP Group’s MEP responsible for US trade relations, Željana Zovko MEP, said the outcome shows that pragmatic politics and constructive negotiations can still deliver results despite growing global instability. "Thanks to the leadership of the EPP Group, co-legislators have reached an agreement on trade between the EU and the US, preventing a serious escalation of transatlantic trade tensions," Zovko said.

During months of negotiations, the EPP Group repeatedly warned against the economic consequences of a tariff escalation between the EU and the US, insisting that Europe could not afford a trade conflict with its most important strategic and economic partner. The EPP Group pushed for a deal that would shield European companies, investments and jobs from prolonged uncertainty, while addressing growing industry concerns about the lack of predictability in transatlantic trade relations.

"This agreement proves that responsible leadership and pragmatic negotiations can still prevail in times of growing global uncertainty. We listened to the concerns of our industries and businesses, which have been calling for stability, predictability and legal certainty for months," Zovko added.

The agreement is expected to provide a more stable framework for EU-US trade relations while leaving room for further discussions on unresolved issues, particularly in the steel and aluminium sectors. "Now, we also expect our transatlantic partners to accept the extended hand Europe has offered and continue building a stronger and more balanced transatlantic partnership," Zovko added.

Jörgen Warborn MEP, the EPP Group’s spokesman on international trade, said the agreement offered the best available basis for restoring predictability in transatlantic trade and safeguarding the rules-based global trading system. “Despite its shortcomings, the Turnberry deal remains the most viable option currently available and the preferable outcome for EU businesses. These files have taken far too long for Parliament to conclude, prolonging the uncertainty that businesses face day after day. The EPP Group has worked to conclude them as quickly as possible, while ensuring that strong safeguards are in place to address the uncertainties surrounding Trump. This discussion is not about being anti-Trump; it is about being pro-European business. We now need to move swiftly so that Parliament can finally vote on these files, continue working on the remaining issues in the joint statement, and provide the predictability that European companies have been calling for for more than a year.”

The EPP Group stressed that close cooperation between Europe and the United States remains essential amid increasing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

“In an increasingly unstable world, proven friends must remain partners, not become foes. Europe and the United States share not only economic interests, but a strategic responsibility to preserve stability, strengthen our industries and safeguard the transatlantic partnership for the future,” Zovko concluded.