The EU Council has formally adopted two regulations implementing the tariff-related commitments set out in the EU-US Joint Statement of 21 August 2025.
The two regulations remove remaining EU customs duties on US industrial goods, introduce preferential access for certain US seafood and non-sensitive agricultural products through tariff rate quotas and reduced tariffs, and extend the suspension of duties on lobster imports, including processed lobster (from all countries on a most favoured nation basis).
The regulations also contain reinforced safeguard and suspension mechanisms. In particular, the regulations provide for a dedicated safeguard mechanism enabling the Commission to act swiftly in cases of significant import surges causing or threatening to cause serious injury to EU operators, and strengthen the EU’s ability to suspend tariff preferences where the US does not respect its commitments, undermines the objectives of the Joint Statement, or otherwise disrupts balanced trade relations, including through discriminatory measures.
The two regulations will now be signed and published in the Official Journal, entering into force on the day following their publication.
The main regulation will cease to apply at the end of 2029. By 30 June 2029, the Commission will present a comprehensive assessment of their impact on EU-US trade flows, tariff revenue and economic effects, including on SMEs, and will accompany it with a legislative proposal to extend the application of the regulations, where appropriate.
The regulation concerning lobster imports will apply retroactively from 1 August 2025 and will expire on 31 July 2030 unless further action is taken.
