The European Union is still waiting for Washington to deliver on key promises made under the trade deal struck at the end of July 2025. While the agreement set a 15 per cent baseline tariff on European exports, already in effect since last week — Brussels says other critical measures remain pending.
EU officials had earlier signalled that a joint statement and executive orders from US President Donald Trump would follow the deal “very soon.” But on Tuesday, a European Commission spokesperson admitted uncertainty over the timeline.
The spokesperson said, “It is an agreement that we believe is strong and the best we could have ... Of course, we expect the US to take further steps that are part of this agreement but I don’t believe at this stage we can put a timeline on these engagements.”
Among the measures yet to be implemented is a long-awaited carve-out for Europe’s auto industry. Under the deal, Washington pledged to slash the current 27.5 per cent tariff on EU cars and car parts to 15 per cent. Trump also gave assurances that if a US probe were to raise duties on pharmaceuticals or semiconductors, these would not exceed the 15 per cent ceiling.
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Negotiators on both sides are still finalising a list of products that would see tariffs drop to zero, including aircraft. Other goods are expected to return to much lower most-favoured-nation rates, while discussions over tariffs on spirits and wine are likely to stretch into the autumn.
For Europe’s metals sector, however, the pressure remains acute. Steel and aluminium exports to the US are still subject to 50 per cent duties, though both sides have agreed to work toward a quota system and a future “metals alliance” that could eventually ease restrictions. In the meantime, European smelters face mounting strain as US tariffs have redirected flows of scrap metal, their key input, away from the bloc.
The backdrop to this truce stretches back to 2018, when President Trump invoked national security concerns to impose steep tariffs on European steel and aluminium. The move ignited a bitter trade standoff that has weighed heavily on both economies, particularly in metals, manufacturing, and transatlantic supply chains.
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