Under Trump's Pressure, EU Agrees to Implement Trade Deal with US

(CNA Strasbourg, 20th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Members of the European Parliament and European Union (EU) member states reached a consensus early this morning to implement a trade agreement reached with the United States nearly a year ago. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the EU will face new tariffs if it fails to complete the process by July 4. Agence France-Presse reports that the EU reached an agreement with Washington last July to set U.S. tariffs on most EU goods at 15%, but to Trump's disappointment, the EU has so far not fulfilled its promise to reciprocate by eliminating tariffs on most U.S. goods. After late-night negotiations, representatives of the European Parliament and EU member states announced in the early morning that they had reached a hard-won consensus to move forward. In a statement, Michael Damianos, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry of Cyprus, the rotating president of the EU, said: "The European Union has fulfilled its commitments today." He added, "Maintaining a stable, predictable, and balanced transatlantic partnership is in the interest of both parties." This consensus makes it possible for the EU to meet the deadline set by Trump and approve the agreement reached last year between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Scotland, hoping to turn the page on a transatlantic trade war that has lasted for more than a year. If the agreement process is not completed on time, Trump has warned that the EU must prepare to face "much higher" tariffs and has vowed to raise tariffs on European cars and trucks from 15% to 25%.