Europe questions US trade deals after Trump imposes 15% tariffs

Europe is reassessing its trade relationship with the US after President Donald Trump announced a new global 15% tariff on all imports over the weekend.

The move followed a US Supreme Court ruling on Friday that struck down his previous global tariffs policy introduced last spring.

Within hours of the judgment, Trump outlined a replacement levy under a different legal authority.

What began as a proposed 10% universal tariff was then raised to 15%, the maximum allowed for 150 days without Congressional approval.

Legal reset triggers trade tension

Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday that the new import duties are effective immediately.

The revised tariff structure replaces the earlier policy invalidated by the Supreme Court, reviving uncertainty among trading partners.

European and London officials warned that trade deals agreed with Washington last year could be at risk.

Under those arrangements, most EU exports to the US were subject to a 15% duty, while UK goods faced a 10% levy.

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s committee on International Trade, wrote on X on Sunday that the situation amounted to tariff chaos from the US administration.

He questioned whether the new measures could breach the agreement and said clarity and legal certainty were required before further steps.

EU emergency talks planned

The European Parliament’s trade committee will hold an emergency meeting on Monday.

Lange said he would propose suspending implementation of the US-EU trade deal until a legal assessment is completed and clear commitments are provided by Washington.

The European Commission stated on Sunday that a deal is a deal and said it expected the US to honour its commitments, just as the EU stands by its own.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told ARD there would be a clear European position ahead of his White House visit in early March, while noting that the European Commission would coordinate the response.

French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier told the Financial Times that EU members should avoid being naive and act in a united way in response to Washington’s trade stance.

UK and tariff balance

The UK government has sought clarity on how the new framework affects its agreement with the US.

A UK government spokesperson told CNBC that under any scenario, the UK expects its privileged trading position to continue and would work with the administration to understand the impact of tariffs.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on CBS’s Face the Nation that the president’s policy would continue and that trade deals signed while litigation was pending were expected to stand.

He said active conversations were ongoing and that no partner had declared a deal off.

Tariffs on EU goods remain at 15%, matching the previous rate under the trade deal.

Exemptions for pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, fertilizers, and certain agricultural products remain, and duties on auto and steel exports are unchanged.

Analysis by Global Trade Alert shows uneven effects.

On a trade-weighted basis, the UK faces a 2.1 percentage point rise in its average tariff rate, while the EU sees a 0.8 point increase.

Brazil’s rate falls 13.6 points, and China’s drops 7.1 points.