Finance
U.S. must honour EU-US deal in tariff investigations, senior EU lawmaker says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 12, 2026
1 min readLast updated: March 12, 2026
Quick Summary
EU trade chief Bernd Lange insists that any new U.S. tariffs must align substantively with the Turnberry deal agreed in Scotland in July 2025; any deviation would render the agreement unacceptable and could stall EU ratification.
EU Parliament Chair: U.S. Must Uphold Scotland Tariff Deal Terms Amid Dispute
EU Response to U.S. Tariff Actions
BRUSSELS, March 12 (Reuters) - The European Union should only accept new U.S. tariffs that recreate the substance of the deal agreed between the two sides in Scotland last year, the chair of the European Parliament's trade committee said on Thursday.
Concerns Over Section 301 Investigations
Bernd Lange said Washington's launch of new 'Section 301' investigations into unfair trade practices had been expected, but they provided no clear commitment from the U.S. administration to uphold the terms of the agreement struck at U.S. President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course.
Turnberry Deal and EU Expectations
"We will see where the investigations lead to, but anything that departs in substance from the Turnberry Deal will not be acceptable," Lange wrote on social media platform X. The European Parliament is still deliberating whether to vote on the deal.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and editing by Inti Landauro)
Key Takeaways
- •The Turnberry Deal, struck July 27, 2025 in Scotland, capped U.S. tariffs on most EU exports at 15% while the EU eliminated many tariffs on U.S. industrial goods and committed to large energy purchases and investments (tariffwarfare.com)
- •Following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down prior tariffs, Washington invoked new authorities including Section 122 and launched Section 301 investigations — prompting Lange to demand clarity and suspend EU ratification until U.S. actions match the Turnberry terms (insiderfinance.io)
- •EU Parliament’s trade committee, led by Lange, has built in protections—such as standstill and sunset clauses—to ensure U.S. compliance and preserve EU sovereignty if Washington imposes tariffs beyond the deal’s scope (socialistsanddemocrats.eu)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. must honour EU-US deal in tariff investigations, senior EU lawmaker says
1What is the EU demanding from the U.S. regarding tariffs?
The EU demands that any new U.S. tariffs must fully reflect the terms of the Scotland agreement reached last year.
2Who commented on the U.S. Section 301 investigations?
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee, commented on the investigations.
3What is the Turnberry Deal?
The Turnberry Deal refers to the EU-U.S. trade agreement struck at President Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland.
4Is the European Parliament voting on the EU-U.S. tariff deal?
The European Parliament is still deliberating on whether to vote on the deal.
5What triggered the EU lawmaker's response?
Washington's launch of new Section 301 investigations into unfair trade practices triggered the response.
