The European Union has advanced legislation to fulfil its side of its trade agreement with the United States, after months of uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariff threats and new import levy.
The EU assembly voted by 417 to 154, and 71 abstentions in favour of the legislation, although with added safeguards, reflecting concerns that the Washington may not stick to the deal struck in Turnberry, Scotland, last July.
The safeguards include sunrise, sunset and suspension clauses and lawmakers insist the US remove 50% duties imposed a month after the Turnberry deal on the steel and aluminium content of products such as wind turbines and motorcycles.
European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic called the vote a "crucial step", delivering certainty for EU businesses.
The US Mission to the EU said it welcomed the vote.
The European Parliament has been debating proposals to remove EU import duties on US industrial goods and improve access for US agricultural produce, a key part of the deal, as well as to continue zero duties for US lobsters, initially agreed with Mr Trump in 2020.
Parliament's vote today is not the end of the process.
Representatives of parliament and EU governments will negotiate final texts before a final vote of approval by EU lawmakers, not expected before April or May.
Parliamentarians' concerns
The US is the EU's largest trading partner, with EU exports to the US rising to a record €555 billion in 2025.
In a debate before the vote, many parliamentarians said the trade deal was lopsided, with the EU required to cut most import duties while the US sticks to a broad rate of 15%.
Bernd Lange, the chair of the parliament's trade committee, said it was not really an agreement at all.
Belgian Social Democrat Kathleen Van Brempt called it a bad deal.
"It does not bring stability. It does not protect us from tariffs, threats and coercion," she said.
The EU assembly had been due to vote on the legislation at the start of the year, but halted work after Mr Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on European allies that did not back his proposed acquisition of Greenland and then launched an import surcharge.
The added safeguards include a sunrise clause to make EU import duty reductions conditional on Washington, honouring its side of the bargain, a sunset clause under which the tariff concessions expire on 31 March 2028, and a clause to suspend the deal if Washington breaches the terms of the deal or if there is a damaging surge of US imports.
