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EU Aims to Seal Trade Deal Before 25% US Tariff

5/19/2026

50 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

EU lawmakers, led by the European People’s Party, are racing to finalize a trade pact before President Donald Trump’s July 4, 2026 deadline for a 25 % tariff on EU cars and trucks.
The bloc aims to seal the deal in Strasbourg on May 19 and Parliament debates a suspension clause that could cancel U.S. tariff benefits if Washington breaches pact.
Conservative Party members, including Zeljana Zovko, are confident the agreement will be completed.

History

Historical Context

After World II the U.S. championed GATT, which drove average tariffs for members from about 22 % in 1947 down to roughly 5 % after the 1999 Uruguay Round. That same year the EU and U.S. signed an auto-tariff pact eliminating the 15 % duty on passenger cars. Trump’s 2018 25 % steel tariff shows how quickly high duties can return, prompting EU legislators to rush a new deal.

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Story summary

EU lawmakers, led by the European People’s Party, are racing to finalize a trade pact before President Donald Trump’s July 4, 2026 deadline for a 25 % tariff on EU cars and trucks.
The bloc aims to seal the deal in Strasbourg on May 19 and Parliament debates a suspension clause that could cancel U.S. tariff benefits if Washington breaches pact.
Conservative Party members, including Zeljana Zovko, are confident the agreement will be completed.

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