US applauds ‘major win’ over EU

(MENAFN) The United States and the European Union have announced the details of their new trade framework, with Washington celebrating the agreement as a “major win” for American workers and industries, while several EU leaders have criticized it as favoring the US.

The deal imposes a 15% tariff on most EU exports to the US, while the EU will remove tariffs on American industrial goods and provide preferential access for US seafood and agricultural products. Additionally, the EU has committed to purchasing $750 billion in US energy and investing $600 billion in the US over the next three years.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the deal “reciprocal, fair, and balanced,” praising it as a key achievement of the America First Trade Agenda. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic described it as a first step toward stability and relief for sectors like the automotive industry.

However, the agreement has drawn criticism from EU officials and leaders. Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell argued it undermines Europe’s strategic autonomy, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed frustration, and Marine Le Pen labeled the deal a “fiasco.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen overstepped her authority, saying Trump “ate her for breakfast.”

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