EU-US trade: Council and Parliament conclude inter-institutional negotiations on text, next step is vote at Parliament on this text

Today, the European Parliament’s Chair of the International Trade Committee (INTA), confirmed that the EU co-legislators (European Parliament and the Member States, represented by the Council ) had reached an agreement on the deal between the EU and US.

The main changes to the text which the co-legislators agreed on, that would be relevant for agricultural products of concern to FRUCOM members , would be the following:

Sunset clause

The main regulation on industrial and agri-food imports will expire on 31 December 2029.

Strengthened suspension clause

The Commission will also be able to suspend tariff preferences if the United States fails to address the Union’s concerns regarding the tariff treatment of Union exports which until 24 February 2026 benefitted from the 15% all-inclusive tariff ceiling.

Safeguard mechanism

The co-legislators also agreed to establish a safeguard mechanism in the event that the tariff preferences granted to the US lead to increases in imports that threaten to cause serious injury to EU industry, including the agricultural sector.

Customs duties on lobster

Concerning the second proposal on lobsters, Parliament and Council agreed on the Parliament's proposal for a five-year extension of tariff-free imports of lobster until 31 July 2030. This will apply retroactively from 1 August 2025.

Next steps

The International Trade Committee (INTA) will organise an extraordinary committee to discuss and vote on the outcome of negotiations after having received the letter confirming Council (Member States) support for the two texts. The extraordinary meeting will likely take place on Tuesday, 2 June 2026 at 9.00.

Following the vote in committee, the file can be tabled for a vote at the following plenary (of the European Parliament) in June (15-18 June). It will then be the turn of Council to approve the agreed text.

Once the text has been formally approved by the co-legislators, the new legislation will enter into force on the day after its publication in the EU’s official journal

More information:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20260518IPR43407/agreement-reached-to-put-eu-us-trade-on-a-more-stable-footing

Contact: Lebo Mofolo, lmofolo@frucom.eu