The European Union has reached out to the US administration, demanding clear explanations regarding future trade steps after the landmark decision by the US Supreme Court, which deemed the global tariffs imposed by President Trump illegal.
This is reported by Finway
Trump’s New Tariffs and the EU’s Reaction
In a stern official statement, the European Commission emphasized the need for full clarity regarding Washington’s plans following the ruling on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The European Commission highlighted that the current situation does not foster “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” transatlantic trade and investments. EU representatives are trying to ascertain whether the trade agreement signed last summer in Scotland remains valid in light of Trump’s new tariff statements.
This week, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič held consultations with US Trade Representative Jameson Greer and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Latkin, seeking to clarify the United States’ next steps. There is particular concern over reports of the White House’s intention to impose a new global tariff of 15%.
Tensions Rise in Relations
The rapid developments have prompted the leadership of the European Parliament to consider postponing the vote on a bill that implements the EU’s commitments under the transatlantic agreement. In particular, the chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, Bernd Lange, described Trump’s decision to impose a 15% global tariff after losing in court as “a clear violation of the agreements we reached.”
“In this regard, I will propose to suspend the ratification of the agreement for the time being,” he said, not ruling out the possibility of “revising the terms of the agreement.”
Lange also noted on social media that the actions of the American administration have resulted in “pure tariff chaos,” emphasizing that the conditions of the “Turnberry Agreement” and the legal basis on which it was founded have fundamentally changed.
Just a day after the Supreme Court overturned key tariff policy, Trump announced his intention to set a new global tariff rate of 15% instead of the previous 10%. To justify this, the US President referenced Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows for tariffs of up to 15% to address “a large and serious balance of payments deficit.” However, such measures can only remain in effect for 150 days without Congressional approval.
The vote in the European Parliament, scheduled for next Tuesday, was set to determine the position on the law to eliminate tariffs on industrial goods from the US and lobsters – a key point of the agreements reached at Trump’s Turnberry golf resort last summer. Lange’s proposal for a postponement must be supported by political groups at an extraordinary meeting on Monday.
The “Greens” party, led by Anna Cavazzini, also called for the process to be suspended: “The vote on the Turnberry Agreement must be halted until clarity is provided. It was clear that Trump’s tariffs are illegal under international law. Now we have confirmation that they were illegal under US law as well.”