Trump's tariffs on EU autos show US to be unreliable, says EU parliament's trade committee chair
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Trump's tariffs on EU autos show US to be unreliable, says EU parliament's trade committee chair

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on May 1, 2026

1 min read

· Last updated: May 1, 2026

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Trump’s Increased Tariffs on EU Autos Raise Concerns Over US Trade Reliability

EU Response to US Tariff Increases

EU Parliament's Reaction

BRUSSELS, May 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to increase tariffs on cars from the EU shows that the U.S. is an unreliable trading partner, EU parliament's trade committee chair Bernd Lange said on Friday.

Statements from Bernd Lange

"This latest move demonstrates just how unreliable the U.S. side is," Lange said. "This is no way to treat close partners. Now we can only respond with the utmost clarity and firmness, drawing on the strength of our position."

Assessment of US Behavior

Lange said that Trump's behaviour is "unacceptable". He said the EU was honouring a framework trade deal struck with the U.S. in Scotland last year which imposed a 15% import tariff on most EU goods, averting a bigger trade war.

Alleged Breaches of Trade Agreement

He said the U.S. had repeatedly breached the agreement, "for example with over 400 products containing steel and aluminium, which are now subject to an average tariff of 26 percent".

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Ros Russell)

Key Takeaways

  • Trump will hike tariffs on EU car imports to 25%, contradicting the Turnberry framework deal that capped tariffs at 15% (apnews.com).
  • Lange called the US an 'unreliable' partner, citing breaches including tariffs on over 400 steel- and aluminium‑containing products now at ~26–50% (investing.com).
  • He urged the EU to respond decisively using counter‑measures and anti‑coercion tools to defend its interests and uphold the integrity of the trade framework (investing.com).

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What tariffs did President Trump announce on EU cars?
President Trump announced increased tariffs on cars imported from the EU, raising concerns about US-EU trade relations.
How did the EU parliament's trade committee chair respond?
Bernd Lange, the trade committee chair, called the US an unreliable trading partner and criticized the move as unacceptable.
What trade agreement had the EU honored with the US?
The EU was honoring a framework trade deal struck in Scotland that imposed a 15% import tariff on most EU goods to avert a trade war.
Has the US breached the trade agreement with the EU before?
According to the article, the US has breached the agreement multiple times, such as imposing tariffs on over 400 steel and aluminium products.

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