EU-US trade: Council gives final approval for the tariff commitments under Joint Statement
Today, the Council formally adopted two regulations implementing the tariff-related commitments set out in the EU-US Joint Statement of 21 August 2025. The adoption completes the legislative process and confirms the EU’s commitment to a stable, predictable and mutually beneficial transatlantic trade relationship, while preserving the necessary guardrails to protect European economic interests.
We are committed to a strong and open transatlantic partnership with our historic ally, but openness must go hand in hand with safeguarding our interests. These measures achieve both, supporting stable and predictable trade flows with the US while ensuring the EU can respond swiftly and proportionately when the deal is not respected or its interests are at stake. We are sending a strong signal that Europe is open to the world, but also clear about protecting its businesses and workers.
The two regulations remove the remaining EU customs duties on US industrial goods, introduce preferential access for certain US seafood and non-sensitive agricultural products through tariff rate quotas and reduced tariffs, and extend the suspension of duties on lobster imports, including processed lobster (from all countries on a most favoured nation basis).
The regulations also contain reinforced safeguard and suspension mechanisms. In particular, the regulations provide for a dedicated safeguard mechanism enabling the Commission to act swiftly in cases of significant import surges causing or threatening to cause serious injury to EU operators, and strengthen the EU’s ability to suspend tariff preferences where the US does not respect its commitments, undermines the objectives of the Joint Statement, or otherwise disrupts balanced trade relations, including through discriminatory measures.
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