European Parliament suspends approval of EU US trade agreement

Brussels, January 21 (Xinhua) -- Due to US President Trump's announcement of tariffs on eight European countries in order to obtain Greenland, the European Parliament decided on the 21st to postpone the approval of the European American trade agreement.

Bernd Lang, Chairman of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament, issued a statement stating that due to the ongoing and escalating threats against Greenland and Denmark, the European Parliament will suspend the advancement of two legislative proposals related to the European American trade agreement until the US "returns to the track of cooperation".

The statement stated that the European Parliament has been seeking to form a unified position on these two legislative proposals in order to negotiate with the European Council and implement the EU's commitments under the European Union trade agreement. However, if the US uses tariffs as a pressure tool to threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of EU member states, it will weaken the stability and predictability required for transatlantic trade relations.

EU leaders are scheduled to hold an emergency summit in the Belgian capital Brussels on the evening of the 22nd to discuss the threat of the United States' "island seizure". On February 17th, Trump announced on social media that he will impose a 10% tariff on goods imported from eight European countries that oppose the United States' acquisition of Greenland starting from February 1st.

The core content of the trade agreement reached between Europe and the United States in July last year included the EU suspending tariffs on all American industrial products and establishing a tariff quota system for a large number of American agricultural and food products entering the EU market, in exchange for the US imposing a 15% tariff on most EU exports to the US.