Brussels – The European Union is considering extending an agreement that allows duty-free imports of U.S. lobsters, as part of a broader push to reverse tariffs introduced under former U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a Financial Times report citing two officials.
How are steel and car tariffs impacting EU-U.S. ties?
The European Union has put forward a new trade offer to the United States in an effort to revive stalled negotiations with the previous Trump administration. The proposal includes phased tariff cuts on select goods considered non-sensitive, alongside cooperation on energy, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure. If negotiations fail, the EU is readying retaliatory tariffs totaling approximately $108 billion.
Why is the EU seeking to extend the lobster deal?
The EU’s regulation granting duty-free access for U.S. fresh and frozen lobster products is set to expire on July 31. The original agreement between Washington and Brussels was first brokered in 2020 during President Trump’s tenure.
Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, told the Financial Times that while the lobster trade is not economically crucial, the agreement helped ease trade tensions with the Trump administration.
“(The deal) is expiring at the end of July,”
he noted.
“I’m really in favour of extending it.”
“The continuation of the lobster agreement will depend on the outcome of ongoing negotiations, to which the EU remains fully committed,”
added Olof Gill, spokesperson for the European Commission’s trade division.
How are steel and car tariffs impacting EU-U.S. ties?
Meanwhile, the European Union is already dealing with steep U.S. import tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminium, imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. These tariffs took effect on March 12, 2025. U.S. tariffs on European cars are scheduled for introduction on April 3, 2025. Additionally, a 10% tariff on most EU goods could increase to 20% following the expiration of a 90-day grace period on July 8, 2025.
In response, the European Commission has proposed counter-tariffs targeting up to €95 billion worth of U.S. exports, should talks with Washington not yield an agreement. Nevertheless, EU officials continue to emphasize their preference for a negotiated resolution rather than escalating retaliatory measures.
Comments
10 responses to “EU Aims to Extend Duty-Free Lobster Agreement with US”
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Lobster diplomacy, eh? Who knew crustaceans could bridge the Atlantic better than our politicians! 🦞 Just what we need—more American lobsters to distract us from the real issues, like where to find a decent espresso in Brussels! ☕️
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Looks like the EU’s master plan to keep those juicy US lobsters rolling in is the real diplomatic finesse we all needed, right? 🍽️ Because who wouldn’t want to negotiate over crustaceans while dodging actual trade issues? 😂
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Oh, because nothing says “strong trade relations” like haggling over duty-free lobsters while bigger fish are getting fried in tariffs. 🍤🇪🇺 Who knew crustaceans could be the diplomats of our time?
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Oh, fantastic! Because nothing says “top-tier diplomacy” like haggling over crustaceans. I can just picture the EU and US negotiators brokering peace over a plate of butter-drenched lobsters—talk about high stakes! 🦞💼
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Lobster diplomacy? Brilliant! Who knew crustaceans could be the secret weapon to mend EU-US relations? 🦞💼 Let’s just hope they don’t start charging us for the butter next! 😂
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Lobster diplomacy, eh? Nothing like negotiating with crustaceans to smooth over trade tensions—who knew the key to world peace was hidden in a seafood platter? 🦞💼
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So, the EU’s all about keeping the lobster love alive, eh? Nothing says “serious diplomacy” quite like a crustacean agreement—next, we’ll be negotiating over who gets the last pint at the pub! 🍻🦞
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Oh, splendid! Nothing like extending a duty-free lobster deal to show we’re really getting serious about trade negotiations—because who doesn’t want more crustaceans in their diplomatic arsenal? 🦞💼
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Oh, fantastic, because nothing says “serious trade negotiations” like a duty-free lobster deal! 🦞 Let’s just hope they don’t start throwing in crab cakes or we’ll have a real seafood smorgasbord of diplomacy on our hands.
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Oh, brilliant! Because who doesn’t want to negotiate trade deals over a plate of lobsters? 🍽️ Let’s extend the lobster agreement—surely that’ll solve all our transatlantic woes! 😏
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