EU lawmaker urges delay to US trade deal vote after tariff upheaval

Senior EU lawmaker seeks delay to EU-US trade vote amid tariff chaos

By Philip Blenkinsop

Tariff Turmoil and EU-US Trade Deal Uncertainty

BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - A senior EU lawmaker proposed on Sunday postponing a vote on the EU-U.S. trade deal that had been planned for this week, arguing that the terms and legal basis on which the deal was struck had changed.

Supreme Court Ruling and New Tariffs

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs on Friday, prompting Trump to put in place a temporary tariff of 10%, which he hiked to 15% on Saturday.

EU Reaction to Tariff Changes

"Pure tariff chaos from the U.S. administration. No one can make sense of it anymore — only open questions and growing uncertainty for the EU and other U.S. trading partners," Bernd Lange wrote in a post on X.

Turnberry Agreement Overview

The European Union and the U.S. agreed at Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland last July on a deal averting a trade war under which the EU is to remove its import duties on many U.S. products in return for a 15% U.S. tariff on most EU goods exports.

Required EU Approvals

The reduced EU duties need clearance from EU governments and the European Parliament.

Legal Basis Concerns

Calls to Delay the Vote

Lange wrote that the terms of the Turnberry agreement and the legal basis on which it was reached had changed and that clarity was now needed.

Greens Support Pausing the Vote

The Greens have also said the vote should be paused.

Earlier Parliamentary Suspension

The European Parliament last month suspended its work on the deal in protest at U.S. President Donald Trump's demands to acquire Greenland and threats of tariffs on European allies who oppose his plan, but subsequently decided to put the deal to a vote at the end of February.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Editing by William Maclean)