EU Extends Suspension of Tariffs on U.S. Goods Until 6 August 2026

The European Commission has adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/295, extending the suspension of the EU’s commercial rebalancing measures against the United States. These measures were originally introduced under Regulation (EU) 2025/1564 to counter U.S. safeguard tariffs on steel and aluminium products, automotive goods, beer cans, and various agricultural and industrial items.

Under the new regulation, the suspension applies from 7 February 2026 to 6 August 2026, ensuring continuity with the prior six-month suspension that began in August 2025.

The extension supports the EU–US political agreement of July and August 2025, which was reaffirmed in the EU–US Joint Statement of 21 August 2025. As part of that agreement, the United States reduced tariffs on EU imports to a maximum rate of 15 percent ad valorem.

Although the European Commission reiterates that U.S. safeguard measures remain incompatible with World Trade Organization rules, it has opted to continue suspending its countermeasures to preserve the progress made in the bilateral agreement. The suspension will be reviewed in light of future developments in EU–US trade relations.

The decision also comes at a time of renewed tension linked to U.S. tariff threats associated with the situation in Greenland. These developments have affected broader EU–US trade processes and prompted the European Parliament and other EU bodies to pause certain actions in response.

This latest extension reflects the EU’s continued preference for maintaining engagement with the United States while keeping open the option of reinstating countermeasures if necessary.