US presses EU to publicly roll back import rules

The Trump administration is pressing the European Union to publicly commit to a detailed plan to roll back import rules and regulations that Washington views as trade barriers, according to the Financial Times, escalating a dispute that now extends beyond tariffs into the realm of regulatory policy.ft

The push comes one year after the two sides struck a broad trade agreement at Turnberry, Scotland, in July 2025, which set US tariffs on most EU goods at 15 percent while the EU agreed to eliminate duties on American industrial products.internationaltradeinsights+1

Washington Targets Non-Tariff Barriers

US officials have signaled that progress on dismantling non-tariff barriers has been too slow. US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder argued this week that tariffs are "no longer the principal obstacle to transatlantic trade," calling non-tariff trade barriers "much tougher". Washington's concerns focus particularly on EU regulations covering automotive safety standards and food and agricultural rules that American officials view as impediments to market access.brusselssignal+1

The pressure reflects a broader US strategy embedded in its 2026 trade policy agenda, which targets foreign regulatory hurdles alongside tariffs. Both sides committed in the original Turnberry framework to collaborate on reducing or eliminating non-tariff barriers, but Washington contends the EU has moved too slowly.tradersunion+2

Brussels Responds With Its Own Demands

The EU has pushed back against the American demands. The European Commission this week shared with Washington a list of tariff reductions it expects from the US, covering €115 billion in annual EU exports. A Commission official told the European Parliament the list actually covers €150 billion in EU exports to the US.euractiv+1

The products Brussels wants exempted from the 15 percent US tariff include wine, spirits, cheeses such as Roquefort and Pecorino, olive oil, pasta, agricultural machinery, industrial robots, semiconductor tools, and medical equipment. The Commission argues it has already delivered on its side of the deal by eliminating tariffs on hundreds of US industrial and agri-food products as of July 1.sullcrom+1

A Fraught Transatlantic Relationship

The latest friction follows months of turbulence. European Parliament lawmakers froze the deal's ratification in January over Trump's Greenland-related tariff threats, and Trump in May set a July 4 deadline for the EU to implement its commitments or face sharply higher tariffs. The EU Parliament ultimately approved the agreement in June, and it took effect July 1.ourtake.bakerbotts+5

The regulatory dispute now risks reopening tensions that both sides hoped the Turnberry deal had resolved.