European Union lawmakers are preparing to block approval of the EU’s trade agreement with the United States after President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European countries backing Greenland in the face of U.S. pressure over the Arctic territory.
Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party (EPP) the largest political group in the European Parliament said on Saturday that ratifying the deal is no longer viable under current circumstances.
“The EPP is in favor of the EU–US trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” Weber said in a social media post, adding that provisions to lower tariffs on U.S. products should be put on hold.
The EU–US trade agreement, struck last summer by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump, has been partially implemented but still requires formal approval from the European Parliament. If EPP lawmakers align with left-leaning political groups, they are expected to have enough votes to delay or block ratification.
Under the agreement, the United States imposed a 15 percent tariff on most EU exports, while the bloc committed to eliminating duties on U.S. industrial goods and selected agricultural products. Von der Leyen had pushed the deal as a way to avert a broader trade war with Washington during Trump’s second term.
Opposition to the deal has been simmering in Brussels for months, with critics arguing it disproportionately favors the U.S. That discontent has intensified since Washington expanded a 50 percent tariff on steel and aluminum to hundreds of additional EU products following the July accord.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer criticized the EU last month for failing to fully implement parts of the agreement, particularly on regulatory treatment of American technology companies.
The standoff escalated further on Saturday when Trump announced a 10 percent tariff, effective Feb. 1, on goods from European countries supporting Greenland against U.S. demands. He said the levy would rise to 25 percent unless and until “a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” referring to the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
European leaders reacted sharply. Von der Leyen warned that tariffs would “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” while French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed Trump’s threats as “unacceptable.”
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee and a central figure in the ratification process, said sovereignty must be respected by all trade partners.
“It is clear that national sovereignty of any country needs to be respected by all partners of the trade deal,” Lange said in an interview. Following Trump’s announcement, he called for suspending implementation of the agreement and urged the EU to consider deploying its anti-coercion instrument (ACI).
The ACI the bloc’s most powerful trade retaliation mechanism has never been used. It allows the EU to respond to coercive economic measures with counter-tariffs, taxes on technology firms, investment restrictions, or limits on access to public procurement.
The European Parliament has adopted a cautious stance in recent days. Members of the trade committee met earlier this week to discuss whether Greenland’s sovereignty should be formally linked to the trade deal and agreed to reconvene next week.
Momentum against ratification is growing. Danish lawmaker Per Clausen of The Left secured 30 signatures on a letter urging Parliament leaders to freeze the agreement as long as U.S. threats persist.
“It would seem extremely strange if we were to enter into an agreement with the U.S. now,” Clausen said. “This would be a clear signal that the EU is prepared to use the instruments it now has if the aggression continues.”
The EU is the largest source of U.S. imports, underscoring the high economic stakes of a prolonged trade confrontation as tensions over Greenland spill into global commerce.
