On 24 June 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation adjusting customs duties and opening tariff quotas for imports of certain goods originating in the United States. The legislative act, approved as an 'I/A' item, includes accompanying statements in which the European Commission commits to carefully assess any European Parliament recommendation to initiate a safeguard investigation that could suspend preferences for the US, and to inform Parliament of the outcome. The Commission also pledges to keep Parliament regularly informed and to take utmost account of its views before proposing any implementing act under the regulation.
The regulation, first introduced by the Commission, aims to recalibrate EU tariffs on specific US goods while opening new tariff quotas, as part of ongoing trade adjustments between the two partners. The adoption follows the ordinary legislative procedure, with the European Parliament having given its consent earlier. The accompanying statements address Parliament's concerns about oversight and transparency in the implementation of the regulation.
The Commission's commitments are designed to ensure that Parliament retains a meaningful role in any future decisions that could affect trade preferences for the US, particularly regarding safeguard investigations. The regulation is expected to impact EU importers and consumers of the affected goods, as well as US exporters, by altering duty rates and quota volumes. EU producers competing with US imports may benefit from the tariff adjustments, while downstream industries relying on US inputs could face higher costs. The regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.