Zero-Tariff Industrial Access Vanishes as Parliament Blocks US Deal

Brussels has formally suspended the ratification of its trade agreement with the United States following President Trump’s linkage of tariff threats with his Greenland ambitions. European lawmakers have described this approach as blackmail, prompting the parliament’s most significant material response to date.
Bernd Lange, who leads the European Parliament’s trade committee, articulated an uncompromising stance, declaring that no possibility of compromise exists while Greenland-related threats remain active. The suspended deal had been set to revolutionize American exports to Europe by establishing zero-percent tariffs on many industrial products.
The European Union has maintained its $750 billion energy purchase commitment, which officials confirm operates separately from the suspended trade agreement. Lange emphasized this energy deal continues unaffected, demonstrating Brussels’ strategic approach to preserving essential cooperation while defending political principles.
Diplomatic tensions manifested visibly when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen changed her post-parliamentary plans. She bypassed a Davos visit where Trump was attending the World Economic Forum, choosing instead to return directly to Brussels for emergency summit preparations.
The Thursday evening emergency gathering will address the full range of options available to Brussels should Washington proceed with tariff implementation. European leaders will discuss imposing €93 billion worth of retaliatory tariffs and potentially activating an unprecedented anti-coercion mechanism. Originally conceived to limit Chinese economic pressure on individual EU states, this instrument could restrict American companies from accessing European markets. Potential targets include technology corporations, cryptocurrency businesses, aircraft manufacturers, and agricultural exporters, though European officials recognize such measures might burden consumers with higher costs or limited access to American services.