The European Parliament has temporarily suspended ratification of a trade agreement with the US due to legal uncertainty and new tariffs from the US side.

On February 23, the European Parliament (EP) decided to temporarily suspend consideration of ratification of the trade agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU), after the US Supreme Court overturned some legal grounds related to the imposition of tariffs and US President Donald Trump continued to implement new tariff measures. This is the second time this year that the ratification process of the agreement has been delayed.

This document was negotiated between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on July 27, 2025, in Turnberry, Scotland.

Earlier, on January 20, the EP temporarily suspended discussions after Trump made a statement threatening to annex Greenland. Discussions only resumed when the US retracted the statement.

The latest postponement stems from the US Supreme Court's February 20, 2026, ruling regarding the application of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee, Bernd Lange, convened an emergency meeting, stating that the ruling was "clear and uninterpretable," and adding that a key tool the US used to negotiate and implement the Turnberry agreement was now invalid, making the current situation unsustainable.

Furthermore, the US President's decision to impose a 15% tariff on all goods imported into the US, regardless of origin, was deemed by Europe as a "blatant violation" of the agreement's terms.

According to the lawmakers, recent developments in the US increase instability, contradicting the need for stability and predictability that European businesses particularly value.

On that basis, the EP's International Trade Committee decided to suspend the review process until "clarity, stability and legal security" in the trade relationship between the EU and the US is restored.

EU officials also expressed concern that the new 15% tariff could cause the total tariffs on European goods to exceed the 15% ceiling agreed upon by both sides, due to the continued existence of additional sector-specific tariffs.

Following reactions from Europe, US President Donald Trump warned on the social media platform Truth that any country “seeking to take advantage” of the US Supreme Court ruling, especially those he believes have “profited” from the US for years, will face even higher tariffs.

For its part, the European Commission stressed the principle that "a deal is a deal," asserting that as the US's leading trading partner, the EU expects Washington to fully respect its commitments in the joint statement, just as the EU fulfills its own obligations.

Under the original terms of the Turnberry agreement, the EU accepted a 15% tariff on most exports to the US and committed to eliminating tariffs on US industrial products entering the EU market. The US maintained a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Europe.

However, Washington later extended this 50% tariff to hundreds of other items, increasing tensions with European lawmakers.

According to the plan, the EP's International Trade Committee is expected to vote on the full implementation of the agreement this week, before the full Parliament votes on March 10.

However, with this new decision, the process remains suspended until legal and stability conditions are ensured.

Source: VTV

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