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EU Puts Trade Deal with US on Hold After Trump Threats

Published January 21, 2026, 18:16

The European Union has suspended its trade agreement with the United States, known as the “Turnberry agreement,” following decisions by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The agreement involved the removal of tariffs on industrial products and the establishment of quotas for agricultural products. However, recent threats from Washington against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of EU member states, as well as the use of tariffs as a means of coercion, are considered undermining to trade relations. The decision to suspend was made by the shadow rapporteurs of the International Trade Committee (INTA), with the committee's chairman emphasizing the European Parliament's unwavering commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland. MEPs believe that continuing negotiations under current conditions is not feasible. Some MEPs, such as the co-chair of the Left, are calling for the complete rejection of the agreement and the implementation of countermeasures against the US, including the activation of the Anti-Coercion Instrument and targeted measures against American technology companies. They believe that the EU must decisively address the coercion exerted by the US side. The suspension of work on the Turnberry agreement will remain in effect until the US demonstrates a willingness to cooperate rather than confront. The EU seeks to ensure stable and predictable trade relations with the US, but not at the cost of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states.