The European Commission has firmly stated that it will not accept any increase in U.S. tariffs beyond the levels agreed under last year’s EU-U.S. trade deal, following a dramatic shift in American trade policy triggered by a court ruling.
The move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down former President Donald Trump’s global tariffs on Friday. In response, Trump announced temporary across-the-board tariffs of 10%, which were subsequently raised to 15% just a day later.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, the Commission — which negotiates trade policy on behalf of the 27 EU member states — demanded that Washington provide “full clarity” on how it intends to proceed following the court’s decision.
“The current situation is not conducive to delivering ‘fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial’ transatlantic trade and investment, as agreed by both sides,” the Commission said, adding emphatically: “A deal is a deal.”
The tone marked a significant escalation from its earlier reaction on Friday, when the EU executive had merely stated it was reviewing the Supreme Court’s ruling and maintaining contact with U.S. officials.
Under last year’s agreement, most EU goods were subject to a 15% U.S. tariff, except for products covered by separate sectoral measures such as steel. The deal also provided zero tariffs on certain items, including aircraft and spare parts. In return, the EU agreed to remove import duties on many U.S. goods and withdrew plans for retaliatory levies.
However, uncertainty now surrounds whether Trump’s new 15% tariffs override the existing EU-U.S. agreement. If so, previously agreed zero-tariff exemptions for some European exports could be scrapped. There are also concerns that the new tariffs could be added on top of pre-existing “most-favoured-nation” duties — something not предусмотр under the current agreement.
Moreover, the EU’s previous comparative advantage — enjoying a 15% tariff rate under the deal — may have vanished, as countries without trade agreements are now facing the same 15% rate.
Trade policy watchdog Global Trade Alert estimates that the EU economy as a whole could be 0.8 percentage points worse off under the new tariff regime, with Italy potentially facing an additional 1.7 percentage points in U.S. duties.
“In particular, EU products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed,” the Commission said, warning that unpredictable trade measures disrupt markets and undermine global investor confidence.
The Commission also confirmed that EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič held discussions on Saturday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in an effort to seek clarification and preserve the integrity of the transatlantic trade agreement.