The European Parliament has suspended its work on the European Union’s trade deal with the United States, protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands to acquire Greenland and his threat of new tariffs on European allies.
Lawmakers had been preparing to vote on legislation underpinning the agreement reached in Turnberry, Scotland last July, which would remove most EU import duties on U.S. industrial goods and extend zero tariffs on American lobster.
The proposals require approval from both the European Parliament and EU governments.
However, the process was halted on Wednesday, January 21st, after lead MEPs agreed to postpone a vote scheduled for next week in the Parliament’s Committee on International Trade. Committee chair Bernd Lange said Trump’s latest tariff threats had broken the Turnberry deal, adding that the file would now be put on hold until further notice.
Tensions escalated after Trump announced on social media that he would impose a 10% tariff from February on several European countries—including Denmark, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—unless negotiations began on his intentions to acquire Greenland.
MEPs argue the threat violates the EU-U.S. deal, under which Washington maintains a broad 15% tariff while the EU commits to cutting most of its own duties to zero.
EU leaders are expected to discuss a collective response at a meeting on Thursday night.
