EU agrees to implement US trade deal struck last summer

The EU has finally agreed to implement its trade deal with the US after five hours of talks between members of the European parliament and member states in the hope of averting more tariffs threatened by Donald Trump. It means the agreement struck last July at the US president’s Scottish golf course can now enter into force, removing import duties on most US goods entering the EU. “This means we will soon deliver on our part,” said the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, welcoming the pact. “Together, we can ensure stable, predictable, balanced and mutually beneficial transatlantic trade.” The agreement puts the bloc on track to meet Trump’s 4 July deadline for ratification of the deal, which has already been implemented in the US. The trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, said of the talks that ended at about 2am in Brussels: “Collective effort. Strong result. Meaningful work. After more than five hours of intensive negotiations … the EU has shown that we are a reliable trading partner, while standing firm in defending the interests of European stakeholders.” MEPs had twice frozen the process to ratify the deal in protest at Trump’s threat of higher tariffs in January and then his threat to take control of Greenland. …