The European Commission on Sunday called on the United States to respect the terms of the EU-US trade agreement reached last year, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down global tariffs imposed by Donald Trump and he responded by introducing new tariffs.
The Commission, which handles trade negotiations for the 27 European Union member states, said Washington must give full clarity about the steps it plans to take following the court’s decision.
On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s global tariffs. In response, the US president announced temporary tariffs of 10 percent on all imports and then increased them to 15 percent the following day.
The Commission said the current situation does not support fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade and investment between both sides, as outlined in last year’s joint trade agreement. It stressed that an agreement must be respected.
The statement was stronger than the Commission’s earlier reaction on Friday, when it had simply said it was reviewing the court’s decision and staying in contact with the US administration.
Under last year’s trade deal, most EU goods were subject to a 15 percent US tariff, except for products already covered by specific sector tariffs such as steel. Some items, including aircraft and spare parts, were allowed to enter with zero tariffs. In return, the EU agreed to remove import duties on many US products and dropped plans to impose retaliatory tariffs.
The Commission emphasized that EU products should continue to receive the most competitive treatment, with no tariff increases beyond the agreed limit. It also warned that unpredictable tariff changes create disruption and damage confidence in global markets.
It added that EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic discussed the matter on Saturday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
