BRUSSELS, June 10 (Reuters) - The European Parliament is poised to approve a trade deal with the United States next week, according to Bernd Lange, chair of the parliament's trade committee. However, Lange expressed significant skepticism regarding the U.S.'s commitment to upholding the agreement's terms, particularly under the current administration.
Lange, a German Social Democrat, stated that the deal, struck last July at President Donald Trump's golf resort in Scotland, secured parliamentary backing due to implemented safeguards. These measures allow the EU to respond if the U.S. breaches the terms and provide an exit strategy at the end of 2029 unless new legislation renews it.
"You can't have any certainty. That's the problem," Lange told a media briefing, suggesting that decisions made solely by the White House and the president could undermine agreed-upon terms. He pointed to the Trump administration's proposed 25% tariffs on many imports from Brazil as an example of politically motivated actions that could be directed against trade agreements.
Lange also noted that the EU's previous advantage under the Turnberry deal, which offered lower tariffs on its exports compared to many rivals, has diminished as the U.S. now applies nearly universal 10% tariffs. "We can completely forget the special transatlantic relationship in this matter and we have to defend our interests rationally," he added.
Conversely, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated last week that the United States is committed to complying with the trade agreement, telling reporters, "We understand that a deal is a deal."