Six hours of Brussels talks on Wednesday brought the EU and US no closer to resolving the deadlock over implementing their trade deal. European lawmakers are insisting on clauses that would Trump-proof the agreement, keeping Parliament in control if Washington moves the goalposts again. With American pressure mounting and another deadline looming, the two sides remain far apart.
“We have just concluded a constructive second trilogue during which we made good progress on the issue of the safeguard mechanism and the review and evaluation of the main regulation, but there is still some way to go,” said Bernd Lange (S&D/DEU), the Parliament’s chief negotiator on the deal.
At the heart of the impasse are conditions the EP has insisted on baking into the implementing regulation. These include a sunrise clause requiring US compliance before the deal takes effect, and a sunset clause giving Parliament oversight over any extension. “It is important that we get a Trump-proof agreement in place before we have a final deal,” Karin Karlsbro (Renew/SWE) told reporters after the negotiation.
American pressure
The United States is putting pressure on the EU to see the deal cross the finish line. “You’ve got time to fix it, the time is now,” Andrew Puzder, the US Ambassador to the EU, told Bloomberg TV in Brussels. “If you do that he would probably take another look at it.”
“You’ve got time to fix it, the time is now.”
— Andrew Puzder, US Ambassador to the European Union
The negotiations came after President Trump threw a spanner in the works. He announced a 25 per cent tariff on European cars and trucks, a violation of the deal’s 15 per cent ceiling, with no explanation offered. It was the fourth time Mr Trump had breached the agreement since the two sides reached it in July 2025.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič urged negotiators to reach an agreement and stabilise trade relations with the US, even as the bloc held firm on its conditions. Wednesday’s talks ended without a breakthrough, with the next round scheduled for 19 May.
