On 21 August 2025, the European Union and the United States
issued a joint statement, announcing they had agreed a
framework for an agreement on reciprocal, fair and balanced
trade.
While the focus of the joint statement is on tariffs and trade
rules, the announcement also demonstrates how EU sustainability
rules are high on the agenda as potential non-tariff barriers to
trade.
The EU / US joint statement explained
The EU / US joint statement issued on 21 August builds on
political agreement reached between President von der Leyen and
President Trump on 27 July at Turnberry in Scotland. The deal
follows months of negotiations and averted the introduction of 30%
US tariffs on EU goods. Instead, the US has agreed to a tariff
ceiling of 15% for almost all EU goods (save for those subject to a
higher most favoured nation rate) and the EU has agreed to remove
tariffs for all US industrial goods and to improve market access
for certain US goods. Exclusions from
