Following the political agreement between EU Commission President von der Leyen and US President Trump on July 27, 2025, a joint statement was published on August 21. This is intended to form the basis for the “deal” between the EU and the US. It includes customs regulations, special sectoral agreements, and declarations of intent on investment and energy.
The framework agreement is politically but not legally binding. The next steps are legal implementations, including rules on the origin of goods and possible extensions to other sectors. For companies, this could result in changes in customs duties, market access, and regulation, the effects of which will depend on practical implementation. The key measures can be summarized as follows:
EU measures
The European Union is abolishing all tariffs on US industrial goods. In addition, it is granting the United States expanded market access for agricultural and marine products. The beneficiary product groups include, in particular, nuts, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, processed foods, seeds, soybean oil, and pork and bison meat. Lighter conditions will also apply to lobster products in the future.
Measures taken by the US
The United States is introducing a tariff cap. For most imports of goods originating in the EU, the higher of the most-favored-nation (MFN) tariff or a rate of 15% will apply in future. Although this will cap the burden, in many cases it will remain above the previous MFN level.
Special regulations from September 2025
From September 1, 2025, only MFN customs duties will apply to certain goods originating in the EU. These include cork, aircraft, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and chemical precursors. These customs duties are generally very low or zero.
Specific product groups
For pharmaceutical products, semiconductors, and wood that fall under the US trade protection provisions under Section 232, a uniform tariff rate of up to 15%, including any Section 232 tariffs, will be set. Vehicles and vehicle parts will also be subject to a capped tariff rate of up to 15 percent in the future. This is conditional on the EU implementing the planned tariff reductions in law. In this case, existing Section 232 duties would be waived.
Expansion of Section 232 lists for steel and aluminum derivatives
In connection with the US trade protection measures under Section 232, additional products have been added to the steel and aluminum derivatives categories in the Federal Register. Specifically, this affects 407 additional products that are now subject to the existing tariff regulations.
Links:
Remarks by Commissioner Šefčovič on EU-US trade relations
Adoption and Procedures of the Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariff Inclusions Process
Zoll- und Handelseinigung von EU und USA: Übersicht, Daten und Fakten
EU und USA: Gemeinsame Erklärung zum transatlantischen Handel und Zöllen
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