EU Ministers Push Washington to Advance July Trade Deal

Himasha Dissanayake, JadeTimes Staff

H. Dissanayake is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Economy

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Source: REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

Brussels, Europea ministers will urge the United States on Monday to accelerate the implementation of key elements of the July EU-US trade agreement, calling for reductions in tariffs on European steel and the removal of duties on wine, spirits, and other goods.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are scheduled to meet EU ministers in Brussels during their first official visit since assuming office. The meeting comes as both sides aim to ease trade tensions while addressing broader economic concerns.

Under the July deal, the United States imposed a 15% tariff on most EU products, while the bloc agreed to remove a significant portion of its duties on U.S. imports. However, full implementation remains pending until it receives formal approval from the European Parliament and EU governments — a delay that EU diplomats say is frustrating Washington, and which may push progress to March or April.

Despite insisting the approval process is on track, EU officials are pressing the U.S. to act on agreed areas, particularly steel and aluminium. The United States currently maintains a 50% tariff on the metals and expanded this in mid August to apply to the metal content of 407 derivative goods, including motorcycles and refrigerators. More items may be affected next month, and additional tariffs on trucks, critical minerals, planes, and wind turbines are being considered a trend European diplomats fear could undermine the July accord.

“We’re at a delicate moment,” one EU diplomat commented. “The U.S. is looking for reasons to criticise the EU as we are trying to get them to work on steel and other unresolved matters.”

The EU also seeks to broaden the scope of products eligible for pre-Trump tariff levels, potentially including wine, olives, pasta, and spirits. In addition, ministers plan to discuss regulatory cooperation on automotive standards, joint economic security initiatives concerning Chinese export restrictions on rare earths and chips, and the bloc’s proposed purchases of U.S. energy.

The meeting includes a 90 minute working lunch, during which both sides are expected to assess trade priorities and attempt to prevent further tariff disputes that could jeopardise transatlantic economic relations.