EU to honor agreement with Trump, lift tariffs on US products starting Wednesday

The European Union (E.U.) will begin lifting tariffs on most U.S. industrial products this Wednesday, thereby meeting the July 4 deadline agreed upon last year with the Trump administration.

Under the terms of the agreement signed in July 2025 between President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the E.U. will impose a maximum tariff of 15% on most of its exports to the United States, while U.S. industrial products will enter the European bloc tariff-free.

"A deal is a deal"

According to AFP, the legislation was published Tuesday in the Official Journal of the E.U. and will take effect on Wednesday. The agreement also provides for preferential access for certain marine and agricultural goods.

"A deal is a deal," said European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill on Tuesday. "The EU [honors] its commitments," he added.

From tensions over Greenland to final approval

The path to implementation was not without difficulties. Months of delays followed tensions sparked by Trump’s statements on Greenland and a Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling that invalidated several tariffs, which complicated the European side’s implementation of the agreement.

Finally, the member states gave their final approval last week, after the European Parliament approved the text in early June. MEPs incorporated important safeguards, including the authority of the European Commission to suspend the agreement should the United States fail to meet its obligations or impose barriers to trade and investment.

With this measure, the E.U. seeks to normalize its trade relations with Washington and prevent an escalation of tariff tensions between the two blocs.