‘We have other countermeasures ready’ if US disrespects EU trade deal, says top negotiator Lange

Published on 20/05/2026 - 10:17 GMT+2

Hours aft negotiators finalised their conditions for a contentious EU-US commercialized woody agreed to past summer, apical European Parliament negotiator Bernd Lange has defended the gait and the scope of the statement – but warned that Europe volition ne'er beryllium retired of the woods portion US President Donald Trump is successful office.

“We had to beryllium truly careful,” helium told Euronews’ Europe Today programme Wednesday morning. “President Trump truly utilized coercive measures against us. So present we person a information net.”

Diplomats and MEPs reached an statement precocious connected Tuesday to instrumentality the contentious EU-US agreement, which eliminates duties connected astir US concern goods imported into Europe.

The negotiations concluded 2 weeks aft US President Donald Trump threatened to enforce 25 percent tariffs connected EU cars if Europeans did not instrumentality the statement – clinched by Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen successful Turnberry, Scotland, past summertime – by 4 July.

The European Parliament had been pushing for stronger safeguards to shield the woody successful the lawsuit of further unilateral threats from Trump. A alleged “sunset clause”, which would let the EU to terminate the woody unless renewed, was included for 31 December 2029, 11 months aft Trump is scheduled to permission office.

Confronting the unknown

The alleged "Turnberry Agreement" has been criticised by galore MEPs arsenic lopsided, arsenic it sets US tariffs connected EU goods astatine 15 percent portion slashing duties connected US goods imported into Europe.

“This is simply a bundle which gives predictability and information for us, for our user and our industry. Therefore, I'm rather blessed that we concluded it,” Lange said.

He did nevertheless sofa these comments successful interest that the EU has “no security” erstwhile it comes to the mercurial moods of the Republican president oregon “turbulences connected the different broadside of the Atlantic".

“We person truly a information nett and yes, we person safeguards. We volition person a monitoring of the economical consequences wrong the European Union, starting 3 months aft this authorities is coming into force,” helium said.

“We person a batch of suspension clauses and we person besides wide regularisation that if the United States volition not alteration the tariffs for this metallic products until the extremity of the year, past we volition assistance our tariffs for this project.”

He said the bundle gives Europe predictability for “the unknown” and hopes “the US medication volition enactment properly".