EU to Freeze U.S. Trade Deal Over Trump’s New Tariff Threat

European Union lawmakers are poised to halt approval of the EU’s trade deal with the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s vow to impose tariffs on countries that supported Greenland in the face of American threats, Richard Bravo reported for Bloomberg News.

The EU-U.S. trade agreement, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen struck with Trump last summer, has already been partially implemented but still needs approval from Parliament. (Photo: Fred Guerdin / European Union, 2025 / EC - Audiovisual Service) 

Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, the largest political group in the European Parliament, said recently that agreement with the U.S. is no longer possible.

“The EPP is in favor of the EU-U.S. trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” Weber posted on social media.

He added that the EU’s agreement to lower tariffs on U.S. products “must be put on hold.”

The EU-U.S. trade agreement, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen struck with Trump last summer, has already been partially implemented but still needs approval from Parliament.

If EPP lawmakers join left-leaning political groups, they will likely have enough votes to delay or block final approval.

The trade agreement set a 15% U.S. tariff on most EU goods in exchange for the EU’s pledge to eliminate duties on U.S. industrial goods and some agricultural products.

Von der Leyen negotiated the deal in hopes of avoiding a full-blown trade war with the Trump administration. However, opposition has deepened after the U.S. expanded a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum to hundreds of additional EU products following the July accord.