US ambassador warns European Parliament rejecting trade deal is 'economic malpractice'

Published on 24/03/2026 - 10:57 GMT+1

In an interrogation with Euronews' flagship greeting programme Europe Today, US Ambassador Andrew Puzder warned that it "would beryllium economical malpractice" from the European Parliament to cull a commercialized woody successful a ballot acceptable to instrumentality spot this week.

A ballot is expected Thursday aft aggregate delays to instrumentality the presumption of the governmental statement betwixt the US and the EU inked past summer, which tripled tariffs connected Europe portion cutting duties connected US concern goods down to zero. The woody was harshly criticised arsenic excessively favourable to the Trump medication and a capitulation from the EU.

Parliamentary sources told Euronews the deal, portion suboptimal, is expected to spell done arsenic astir governmental groups are acceptable to vote in favour, which makes its afloat support likely. The European People's Party, the largest radical successful the hemicycle, is supportive of it.

Puzder described it arsenic a "great woody for the United States and the European Union".

The statement was thrown into disarray aft the US Supreme Court ruled earlier this twelvemonth that the methods employed by President Trump were unconstitutional.

EU Lawmakers had besides resisted implementing the woody aft Trump threatened to instrumentality Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, by unit successful January earlier backing down successful a last-minute woody for arctic information negotiated by NATO.

Still, Puzder said the United States was "not the obstacle" successful the support of the agreement. Washington has imposed an further 10% tariff globally to salvo the duties annulled by the US Supreme pegged to Liberation Day. The EU has insisted that the caller tariffs indispensable not surpass the 15% all-inclusive ceiling negotiated successful the archetypal deal.

Thursday’s ballot is important for the last approval, with adoption acceptable for April oregon May.

The US ambassador said Washington is monitoring and "anxiously" waiting.

Asked astir the escaped commercialized statement agreed by Brussels and Australia connected Tuesday successful Canberra, adding to a database of deals including Latin America and India delivered this twelvemonth by the EU executive, Pudzer said the US does not spot it arsenic threatening oregon detrimental.

"If 2 of our closest allies adjacent an statement connected commercialized it helps the world, it doesn't wounded the world", said Puzder.