Bloomberg: EU preparing plan for next phase of trade deal with US

The European Union is preparing to propose a plan to the United States to implement the next phase of the trade agreement reached this summer, according to people familiar with the matter. The initiative comes ahead of a meeting later this month between EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and his US counterparts.

The move responds to earlier US proposals demanding a legally binding plan to revise EU regulations that Washington said disadvantage American businesses, the people told Bloomberg.

The deal agreed in August between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump set a 15% tariff ceiling on most EU goods entering the US, including cars, while also pledging further cooperation on steel exports and non-tariff barriers. A few EU products benefit from lower rates, and the bloc has introduced legislation to scrap tariffs on some US industrial and agricultural goods.

A Commission spokesman declined to comment on the plan but confirmed the EU “was engaging at both political and technical level with the US.”

The proposed “implementation action plan,” not yet shared with Washington, focuses on five areas: tariffs and market access—where the EU seeks lower rates for goods like wines and spirits—standards, digital trade, technical barriers, and other trade grievances. It would also explore cooperation on steel and aluminium, where the EU wants to replace the current 50% tariffs with a quota system allowing some exports to face lower duties.

In addition, the plan calls for creating an economic security working group to address investment screening, export controls, procurement, and critical raw materials supply. It would also monitor EU commitments on purchases of liquefied natural gas and semiconductors made under the August deal.

EU envoys are being briefed on the proposal this week.

By Sabina Mammadli