“We are speechless,” “it was food.” What is still to explain in the US-UE agreement

Von der Leyen looks relieved in photography – but just look to the side to see the “petrified” Sabine Weyand and the real humor of the EU.

O trade agreement comprehensive among European Union (UE) and United States of America (USA) It was last Sunday: 15% in most products.

It is half the threat of US President Donald Trump, who had warned that imports from the EU would reach 30%.

In the official photograph, Ursula von der Leyenchairman of the European Commission, appears smiling and raise the thumb. Like Trump, by the way.

But just look a little more to the side, more precisely to the smallest person in the picture above, with glasses: it’s Sabine Weyand, negotiation specialist of the European Commission; and on your face “Petrified” is the “real humor” of the EU.

Because Sabine knows what This agreement is no reason to celebratecontinues the.

Unpublished, succumb

Is that this outcome is unprecedented: the European Union had never accepted sign a trade agreement with the United States that Increase rates for European exportsinstead of reducing them.

It does not hesitate: the EU “succumbed to Donald Trump’s compressor”. First of all, before Donald Trump’s return to the White House, EU products had an average rate of 1,47% – Value that multiplies by 10, now.

In addition, in the middle of months of negotiations and tensions, in April the EU had accepted a new US proposal, which would be 10% na majority of the products. After all, it will be 50% more than that.

European responsible would be approaching Trump’s first term as US president; softer, patients, with more spaced and less risky steps. But Donald Trump is different In this chapter and acted faster, anticipated: In March it was already announced 25 % of steel, aluminum and cars tariffs.

From there, the EU has seen at a disadvantage. The Commissioner of Economic Trade and Security, Maroava šefčovič, was still seven times Washington, has been talking to US negotiators. They were proposed accordingly, were demonstrations of the importance of the transatlantic relationship, it was a focus on German cars, for example. Nothing. The US was on top.

It was also at this stage that the 10% tariff proposal was rejected for both sides.

Overall, and continuing at the Financial Times, in Brussels there may be (on the European side) relief from avoiding the trade war – but regret for not taking a firmer position from the beginning.

It is that Canada or China, who responded soon, is just a country. In the European Union there are 27 countries, 27 visions (or more) about what to do.

What remains to explain

And here it fits one of the topics that is to explain in this agreement: is it multilateral? Are there EU member countries that will still have to approve the document? The legal formula is not known.

In this context, José Luís Carneiro, secretary general of the PS, has already asked the government for the government to extend the impact of the agreement on the economy in Portugal.

Brussels assured that it will invest more 600 billion dollars in the US in the coming years; But a calendar has not been defined, nor is it known how (and if) the private sector will enter this goal.

There are other paragraphs that have not yet been explained. The launches some questions: what will be the rates that will be applied to wines and to the spirits (delicate subject in these negotiations).

It is also unknown what fares will be applied to products Pharmacists.

As it is not known what will be free. There is talk of a series of products considered strategic (such as aircraft, semiconductors or chemicals) but a detailed list of these exempt products has not yet been published.

No sector energetic, There are many doubts. The European Commission announces that it will import US oil, gas and coal for 650 billion euros – but people in the sector ask how this will be implemented.

Now there will be quantities import determined politically “But they do not correspond to free energy markets as we know it.” In Germany, it is remembered that contracts are negotiated between the supplier and the customer; And the energy would be bought where the price was lower.

Reactions

The European Commission defends the agreement, as expected. Commissioner Maroš šefčovič said this agreement “It is much better than the alternative that would be a trade war with the US. If I had to summarize this agreement in a sentence, I would say that it brings renewed stability and paves the way for strategic collaboration, ”he added.

Here, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro speaks of “Predictability e stability, vital to Portuguese companies and the economy. It avoids climbing, but puts new demands on the fight for more trade agreements, barriers cutting and the transformative agenda of simplification and cost reduction. ”

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, he sees a positive step, not fleeing a central subject in his country-the automobile sector: “This agreement has been able to avoid a trade conflict that would have harshly reached the export-oriented German economy. This applies especially to automotive industry, where current 27.5% rates will be reduced almost to half, being 15%. ”

On the side of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Dick Schoof is satisfied but not to jumps: “Of course zero tariffs would have been better, but this agreement provides more clarity For our business and brings more stability to the market. ”

But there were also public criticism. Some serious: “It’s a shadowy (to Europe) the one in which an alliance of free peoples, gathered to affirm their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission, ”warned France’s Prime Minister François Bayrou.

The energy sector in Germany is surprised: “We are completely speechless”, said source of a large group of German energy, no.

Viktor Orbán, Hungary Prime Minister, issued the most media reaction: “It was not Donald Trump who completed an agreement with Ursula von der Leyen; Donald Trump who has eaten Von der Leyen to breakfast‘”.