The European Union is ready to block approval of a trade deal with the US over President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on countries, Manfred Weber, head of the European Parliament's leading faction, the European People's Party (EPP), wrote in X.
“The EPP supports the EU-US trade deal, but given Donald Trump's threats over Greenland, approval is impossible at this stage. Zero tariffs on US products must be stopped,“ he wrote.
The EU-US trade deal, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded with Trump last summer, has already been implemented but still requires parliamentary approval, Bloomberg reports. If EPP members join "radical left-wing political groups," they will gain enough votes to delay or block approval, the article said.
Some EU lawmakers are calling for a pause in the implementation of the trade deal with the United States until Trump's threats subside, the agency noted.
"It is clear that the national sovereignty of each country must be respected by all partners in a trade agreement," said Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament's Trade Committee, which is helping oversee the debate on ratifying the trade agreement.
He also advocated the use of the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI, also known as the "trade bazooka"). The instrument allows for a rapid response to attempts to force the EU or its member states to change their policies through trade or financial threats. Countermeasures include increased tariffs, restrictions on government procurement, investment bans and export controls.