On 16 June 2026, the European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution approving a regulation to adjust customs duties on imports from the United States, implementing the Joint Statement agreed between the EU and the US to de-escalate trade tensions. The resolution integrates amendments that strengthen the EU's defensive and monitoring capabilities, creating a more conditional framework for tariff reductions and quota openings.
The regulation sets most customs duties on certain US goods to 0% and opens tariff quotas for a wide range of agricultural and fishery products, including salmon, shrimp, dairy, nuts, and soybean oil. The Parliament's amendments reinforce the suspension and safeguard mechanisms, allowing the Commission to suspend tariff adjustments if US actions threaten to undermine the Joint Statement, including diverging from commitments such as the 15% tariff ceiling. The safeguard clause is tightened to enable faster re-imposition of duties if US imports cause serious injury to EU industry. Additionally, the Commission must report to Parliament and the Council every three months on the economic effects, replacing the original annual reporting requirement. A new recital explicitly preserves the EU's right to use other trade defense tools, such as the Anti-Coercion Instrument and the Enforcement Regulation. Another recital clarifies that the Joint Statement does not apply the 15% tariff ceiling to steel and aluminium, meaning US 50% tariffs on these sectors remain in place.
The amendments shift the regulation from a straightforward implementation of a bilateral deal to a strategic, conditional instrument. EU leverage is increased through stronger suspension and safeguard clauses, while parliamentary oversight is enhanced via quarterly reporting. The expanded tariff quotas provide immediate relief to EU fisheries and agriculture sectors by ensuring stable, duty-free access to US inputs, but the strengthened safeguard clause protects these same sectors from potential market disruption. The core dispute over US steel and aluminium tariffs remains unresolved, meaning the EU is managing rather than resolving the conflict. The regulation now awaits Council approval before entering into force.