EU Trade Chief Delays Trump-Era Pact to Lock in Guardrails

Bernd Lange, head of the European Parliament’s trade committee, leveraged parliamentary leverage to slow the EU–US trade deal, insisting on safeguards. He pushed for instruments like a sunrise clause, a mechanism to suspend concessions, and an explicit expiry, arguing the pact needed protection against Trump-era threats. After months of wrangling, a compromise text was agreed that grants the Commission more discretion to assess U.S. compliance and allows suspension if Washington does not lower steel/aluminum duties by the end of 2026, with the deal’s expiry now set for the end of 2029, signaling a cautious, guarded path forward for transatlantic trade relations.