EU-US trade: Council and Parliament strike a deal to implement the tariff elements of the Joint Statement
On 20th May the Council presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on a regulation aimed at implementing the tariff-related aspects of the EU-US Joint Statement, agreed on 21 August 2025.
The regulation eliminates remaining customs duties on US industrial goods (including apparel and footwear). To ensure the effective implementation of the Joint Statement and protect the EU’s interests, the co-legislators agreed to include:
- a dedicated safeguard mechanism, which gives the EU the means to address possible significant increases in imports from the U.S. that cause or threaten to cause serious injury to domestic producers;
- conditions under which the Commission is empowered to suspend in whole or in part the application of the regulation, via an implementing act (e.g. if the United States fails to meet the commitments of the Joint Statement); and
- a sunset clause, under which the regulation will cease to apply at the end of 2029 unless further action is taken.
For more information, see:
Please note that both co-legislators have also approved today a regulation extending the duty suspension for imports of U.S. lobster until 31 July 2030. This will apply retroactively from 1 August 2025.
Next steps :
Once the text has been finalised at technical level, the provisional agreement will have to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions before being published in the Official Journal. The regulation will enter into force on the day following its publication.
