European countries have warned that their trade deals with the United States could be at risk after President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he would impose new 15% global tariffs on all imports.
President Trump’s move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday struck down global tariff policies implemented last spring that disrupted the long-standing global trade order.
The president reacted to the Supreme Court ruling by initially announcing a new universal 10% tax using a different legal framework than the latest tariffs, but then raising global tariffs to 15%. This is a legal cap that can apply for 150 days and requires parliamentary approval.
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday that the new import tariffs are “effective immediately.”
Officials in Europe and London expressed alarm and surprise at the recent disruption to global trade relations, saying President Trump’s new tariff policies could upend the trade deal signed with the United States last year.
They asked the White House for more clarity on what the new tariff policy framework actually means for each trade agreement. The deal imposed a 15% tariff on most European Union exports to the United States, and a 10% tariff on British exports.
Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament’s international trade committee, responded to the White House on Sunday, calling it “a pure tariff mess by the US government.”
“No one understands this anymore,” Lange wrote on social media platform
“Are the new tariffs…a violation of the agreement? In any case, no one knows whether the United States will or will be able to comply with the agreement,” Lange said, adding: “We need clarity and legal certainty before we take further action.”
The European Parliament’s trade committee held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss President Trump’s latest trade policies, and Lange said in a statement that legislative work was “on hold” following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 decision regarding the application of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is clear and unequivocal. Its impact cannot be ignored and business as usual is not an option,” Lange said.
He added: “The key tools used on the US side to negotiate and implement the Turnberry Agreement are no longer available.” “The current situation is more uncertain than ever. This runs counter to the stability and predictability that the Turnberry Agreement sought to achieve.”
The European Commission issued a statement on Sunday saying that “a deal is a deal” and that it expected the United States to “keep its commitments, just as the EU keeps its promises.” CNBC has reached out to the committee for further comment.
(Combo) Created in Berlin on January 6, 2026, this photo combination includes (clockwise from top left) German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (in Brussels on December 18, 2025), Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (in Johannesburg on November 23, 2025), and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (December 18) (Photographed in Brussels on Sunday.) 2025), Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (in Brussels on December 18, 2025), French President Emmanuel Macron (at the Elysée Palace in Paris on January 6, 2026), and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (in London on December 10, 2025). On January 6, 2026, the Group of European Leaders emphasized their support for Denmark after US President Donald Trump reiterated his plans for an autonomous Arctic territory, Greenland.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told German broadcaster ARD ahead of a visit to the White House in early March that there would be a “very clear European position on this matter”, but he would leave it to the European Commission in Brussels to decide how the EU would respond to the tariffs.
However, French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier suggested Brussels could hit back at Washington. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Forissier urged EU member states not to be “naive” and to adopt a united approach to the White House’s new trade positions.
The UK is also questioning how the new tariff policy will affect its trade deal with the US. The trade agreement gave the country a competitive advantage over its European neighbors, given the basic tariff rate of 10%.
A British government spokesperson said over the weekend: “We expect our privileged trading position with the United States to continue in any scenario and will work with the administration to understand how this ruling will impact tariffs in the UK and other countries.”
Are trade deals on or off?
Europe’s harsh reaction to the new tariff policy will interrupt U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer’s work reassuring countries that the trade deal reached last summer is still in effect.
Greer defended President Trump’s tariff stance on Sunday, saying the president’s trade policy has not fundamentally changed and trade agreements remain in effect.
“The president’s policies were going to continue. That’s why they signed these agreements, even with the litigation pending. That’s why we’re actively talking to them. We want them to understand that these are going to be good agreements. We expect them to support us, and we expect our partners to support them as well,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“And I’ve yet to hear anyone come to me and say, ‘We’ve got a deal.’ They want to see how this plays out. We’re actively talking to them about it,” he added.
At first glance, the current US trade tariffs with the EU remain unchanged, and the new 15% rate is the same as the rate under the trade agreement. Exemptions will also continue to apply, with exemptions for pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, fertilizers and certain agricultural products, but other duties on motor vehicle and steel exports will remain the same.
However, the UK is at a significant disadvantage if trade agreement tariffs are not met, meaning countries with ostensibly the lowest tariffs will be hit harder.
On a trade-weighted basis, average tariff rates in the UK are expected to rise by 2.1 percentage points, while in the EU they are expected to rise by 0.8 percentage points, according to analysis by Swiss-based trade watchdog Global Trade Alert. In contrast, Brazil fell by 13.6 points and China by 7.1 points.
Tina Fordham, founder of Fordham Global Foresight, told CNBC on Monday that the United States’ closest allies appear to have been hardest hit by what she described as recent “trade disruptions,” but agreed that more clarity is needed from U.S. officials.
“This administration hasn’t really thought about second- and third-order impacts,” he told CNBC’s “European Early Edition.” “So what we’re seeing is countries that intervened early and tried to get better deals when the president first started talking about these taxes are being punished.”
European markets fell on Monday, showing investor unrest over the latest tariff moves. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned on Sunday that trade uncertainty could worsen transatlantic business relations.
“It’s very important that everyone in the industry, both outside the United States and within the United States, get clarity about the future of the relationship,” he said on Sunday’s “Face the Nation.”
“It’s like driving. You want to know the rules of the road before you get in the car. It’s the same in trade,” she added.
“If (the new tariff policy) upsets the overall balance that industry players are accustomed to, (it) will certainly disrupt business,” he said.
Correction: Article has been updated to correct comments from French Trade Minister Nicolas Folicier.
