USA-EU Trade Deal: What Do New Tariffs Mean for the European Union & Global Trade?
The future of transatlantic trade negotiations has often felt uncertain during the ongoing trade war. While there was initial hesitation from economists over potential EU and US tariff rate hikes over in-demand commodities like agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, and natural gas, the recent USA-EU trade deal has helped restore predictability in the supply chain and reliable market access to key commodities for trading partners on both sides of the Atlantic.
US-EU Trade Deal: Which Market Segments are Affected by New Tariffs?
US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached a trade agreement to maintain more predictable and stable trade relationships for the US and EU member states. Finalized in July 2025, the new EU-US trade agreement introduces a 15% US import tariff on EU goods with zero tariffs from the EU on US goods. The macroeconomic impact is minimal, with only a 0.1 percentage point difference from previous scenarios.
However, export-heavy sectors of the US economy like manufacturing, wholesale, and automotive/transport could see more significant effects due to higher tariffs remaining in place. Steel and aluminum tariffs, for example, remain high (50%), though some producers are still seeing steady demand for such EU exports from US trade partners.
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