The European Parliament halts the ratification of the trade agreement with the USA.

Brussels.- This Monday, the European Parliament decided to halt the ratification of the trade treaty signed between the European Union and the United States, due to the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court which declared the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump illegal. The European Parliament’s Trade Committee was planning to vote on the agreement to advance the ratification process. However, the European People’s Party, the Social Democrats, the Liberals, and the Greens decided to pause the process until Washington clarifies the implications of the ruling. The chairman of the Trade Committee, Bernd Lange, stated that it is necessary to have clarity and legal certainty before being able to approve the agreement. Since the signature of the agreement between Trump and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the majority of European products have been subject to a 15% tariff. However, the EU has not imported industrial products from the United States at 0%, as the European Parliament has not ratified the agreement. At this moment, the European Union wishes to know whether the U.S. Government will continue to uphold its commitment or if the 15% tariffs alter what was agreed. Lange mentioned that political parties will meet again next week, with the expectation that Washington will have defined whether it will continue to fulfil its commitment. If so, he noted that there is a possibility that the European Parliament could ratify the agreement in the March plenary session. The European Commissioner for Trade, Maros Sefcovic, was also present in the European Parliament to discuss the situation with MEPs, following a videoconference with G7 Trade Ministers and talks with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce. Sefcovic expressed on social media that compliance with the agreement between the EU and the United States is fundamental, reiterating the message that Brussels has been communicating since the ruling was made public.