The American ambassador to the EU pleads in favor of the trade agreement with the USA

Ambassador Andrew Puzder warned in an interview with Euronews on Tuesday that the rejection of a trade agreement with the United States by the European Parliament in the scheduled Thursday vote would be an “economic mistake.”

The agreement, reached last summer between the United States and the European Union, includes tripling tariffs on European products while reducing tariffs to zero on American industrial products.

Its implementation has been postponed several times, partly due to Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland. However, according to several parliamentary sources, most political groups are now preparing to vote in favor. The largest group in the hemicycle, the European People’s Party, supports it.

The agreement was called into question after the US Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that President Trump’s methods were unconstitutional.

Puzder stated that it was an “excellent agreement for the United States and the European Union” and clarified that the United States was not an “obstacle” to the agreement’s approval. Washington imposed an additional 10% tariff globally to offset the tariffs eliminated by the US Supreme Court on Liberation Day. The EU insisted that the new tariffs do not exceed the 15% overall cap negotiated in the initial agreement.

Thursday’s vote is crucial for final approval, with adoption planned for April or May. The US ambassador stated that Washington is monitoring the situation and eagerly anticipates the outcome.

When asked about the free trade agreement between Brussels and Australia concluded on Tuesday in Canberra, along with other agreements made this year by the European Union with Latin America and India, Puzder commented that the United States does not consider it threatening or detrimental. He stated, “If two of our closest allies reach a trade agreement, it helps the world, it does not harm it.”