EU, UK warn Trump trade deals are at risk as new 15% tariff introduced

Europe has warned that trade deals with the US could now be at risk after President Donald Trump announced a new global 15% tariff on all imports over the weekend.

Trump’s move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck down Trump’s policy of global tariffs that he implemented last spring, disrupting the long-standing global trade order.

The President reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision by announcing a new universal 10% tax, initially using a different legal framework for the latest tariffs, but later increased the global tariff rate to 15%; This is the legal maximum rate that can apply 150 days before congressional approval is required.

Trump said the new import duties “will go into effect immediately.” A Real Social post on Saturday.

Officials in Europe and London have expressed alarm and surprise at the latest turmoil in global trade relations, saying Trump’s new tariff policy could upend trade agreements signed with the United States last year.

They demanded greater clarity from the White House on what the new tariff policy framework means in practice for trade agreements under which most European Union exports to the United States are covered by a 15 percent tariff and exports from the United Kingdom are slapped with a 10 percent duty.

Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, blasted the White House on Sunday as “pure tariff chaos from the US administration.”

“No one can make sense of this anymore; there are only open questions and increasing uncertainties for the EU and other US trading partners.” lange wrote on social media platform X.

“Don’t the new tariffs constitute a violation of the agreement? Whatever happens, no one knows whether or not the United States will comply,” Lange said, adding that “clarity and legal certainty are needed before further steps are taken.”

The European Parliament’s trade committee held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Trump’s latest trade move. Lange said in his statement: It was stated that legislative efforts were “on hold” following the US Supreme Court decision.

“The United States Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 decision on the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is loud and clear. Its consequences cannot be ignored, and business as usual is not an option,” Lange said. he said.

“An important tool used on the US side to negotiate and implement the Turnberry Agreement no longer exists,” he added. “The situation is now more uncertain than ever. This runs counter to the stability and predictability we sought to achieve with the Turnberry Agreement.”

European Commission published a statement On Sunday, he stated that “a deal is a deal” and that he expects the US to “deliver on its commitments, just like the EU stands behind its commitments.” CNBC asked the commission for further comment.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told German broadcaster ARD ahead of his visit to the White House in early March that “Europe will have a very clear position on this issue” but deferred to the European Commission in Brussels on how the EU would respond to the tariffs.

However, French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier suggested that Brussels could retaliate against Washington. Speaking to the Financial Times, Forissier called on EU members not to do the following: “be pure” and take a unified approach to the White House’s new trade stance.

The UK also questioned how the new tariff policy would affect its trade deal with the US; this agreement had put the country at a competitive advantage over its European neighbors, given the base 10% tariff rate.

“In any scenario, we expect our privileged trading position with the US to remain and we will work with the administration to understand how the decision will impact tariffs on the UK and the rest of the world,” a UK government spokesman said over the weekend. he said.

Europe’s harsh response to the new tariff policy means US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s job in reassuring partners that the trade deals agreed last summer are still valid.

Greer defended Trump’s tariff stance on Sunday, saying the president’s trade policy has not fundamentally changed and trade agreements are still valid.

“The president’s policy was going to continue. That’s why they signed these agreements even while the litigation was ongoing. That’s why we’re in active discussions with them. We want them to understand that these agreements are going to be good agreements. We expect to be there for them. We expect our partners to be there for them,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“And I haven’t heard anyone come to me yet and say ‘the deal is off.’ They want to see how this plays out. I’m in active discussions with them about that,” he added.

On the face of it, existing US trade tariffs against the EU remain unchanged; The new 15% rate is the same as the rate under the trade agreement. Exceptions still apply, with pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, fertilizers and some agricultural products exempt, while other tariffs on automobile and steel exports remain the same.

Those with the lowest tariffs to start with However, they will seemingly suffer more, with the UK at a significant disadvantage if trade agreement tariff rates are not adhered to.

On a trade-weighted basis, the UK faces a 2.1 percentage point increase in the average tariff rate, while the EU sees a 0.8 percentage point increase. according to analysis From Switzerland-based trade watchdog Global Trade Alert. In contrast, Brazil’s rate fell by 13.6 points and China’s by 7.1 points.

Tina Fordham, founder of Fordham Global Foresight, told CNBC on Monday that the United States’ closest allies were worst hit by what she called the latest “trade chaos” but agreed that more clarity from U.S. officials is needed.

“This is an administration that doesn’t think too much about second- or third-order effects, and so when the President first starts talking about these taxes, we’re seeing countries being penalized that try to jump in early and get a favorable deal,” he told CNBC’s “Europe Early Edition.”

European markets traded lower on Monday, showing investor unease over the latest tariff move. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned on Sunday that trans-Atlantic business relations could be damaged by trade uncertainty.

“It’s critical that all people, both outside the United States and in business within the United States, have clarity about the future of the relationship,” he told “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

“It’s a bit like driving. You want to know the rules of the road before you get in the car. The same goes for business,” he added.

“If so [the new tariffs policy] It shakes the entire balance in trade that people are accustomed to… [it] “Of course it will cause disruptions in business,” he said.

Correction: The story has been updated to correct comments from French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier.