The United States and European Union have published a joint statement to formalise their recent trade deal, which has been criticised by several European co-op apexes.
According to the framework, the EU would move to eliminate tariffs on all US industrial goods and to provide preferential market access for a wide range of US seafood and agricultural goods, including tree nuts, dairy products, fresh and processed fruit and veg, processed foods, planting seeds, soybean oil, and pork and bison meat.
Meanwhile, the US would commit to apply the higher of either the US Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff rate or a tariff rate of 15%, comprised of the MFN tariff and a reciprocal tariff, on originating goods of the EU.
In terms of the energy market, both parties “commit to co-operate on ensuring secure, reliable, and diversified energy supplies, including by addressing non-tariff barriers that might restrict bilateral energy trade”. The EU would also procure US liquified natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy products with an expected offtake valued at $750bn through 2028. However, the Commission does not have the legal authority to commit the bloc to this spending target since it is up to national governments to acquire energy supplies.
Among the deal’s strongest critics were Copa and Cogeca, the organisations representing European farmers and agri co-ops, who said the deal “delivers nothing for the EU agriculture sector”.
“Despite public statements from European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen – made in Scotland regarding potential ‘zero-for-zero’ tariff arrangements for certain agricultural products – the joint statement contains no such relief for any European producers,” the twin apexes said. “The minimum expectation was tariff relief for wine and spirits — a solution endorsed by stakeholders in both the EU and the US — yet this has not been delivered.”
Furthermore, they argue, the deal “grants improved market access for US agri-food products, while EU producers are left facing higher tariffs, now rising to 15%, on key export products.”
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Copa and Cogeca view the outcome as “one-sided”, adding that the deal is “deeply damaging to a sector already under pressure from rising costs, regulatory constraints, and increasing global competition”.
They added: “In practical terms, EU agriculture is being asked to accept weaker trading terms, while the US reaps new advantages. This is not reciprocity – it is a strategic error that undermines the EU’s own farmers, agri-cooperatives and rural economies.”
Copa and Cogeca want the European Commission to continue to negotiate with the US to lower the tariffs on key agricultural exports, and to conduct and publish an impact assessment of the agreement on EU farming, including detailed analysis of the substitution effects.
“Competitor countries, such as for example Australia and Argentina, will continue to benefit from lower 10% tariffs, meaning EU producers are now at an even greater disadvantage in a key market,“ they added. “We urgently seek clarity on the Commission’s planned adjustments to the deforestation regulation and sustainability directives, and their implications for EU producers.
“Any flexibility granted on SPS rules or sanitary certification for the US must not come at the expense of EU production standards or farmers.
“This agreement confirms a worrying trend: agriculture is being consistently deprioritised in EU trade negotiations. We call on the Commission to explain how this outcome aligns with its stated objectives on the strategic role of our sector for Europe, rural resilience, and fair trade and to outline immediate steps on how it plans to mitigate the negative impact.”
REScoop.eu, the European federation of energy communities, has also criticised the deal.
“This is a shocking transfer of wealth to the United States,” said Daan Creupelandt, coordinator at REScoop.eu. “Instead of investing in the citizens building local transitions all over Europe, the EU and its governments renounced their values and capitulated on both climate action and energy security, threatening our resilience and social fabric.”
In an opinion piece published ahead of the joint US-EU statement, Giuseppe Guerini, president of Cooperatives Europe, said that while the deal brings some clarity after months of uncertainty and tension, “it also highlights structural weaknesses within the European Union”. The deal presents new challenges for its economic fabric, including co-operatives, he added.
The 15% tariffs would affect producers, including agri co-ops, he warned, adding that “these developments pose a serious challenge, especially after years of navigating successive economic crises”.
Guerini also expects to see higher costs for consumers and a negative impact on the EU’s productive economy and thinks the EU should strengthen its internal market, forge new strategic alliances, and step up as a global actor.
“This is a call to build a more resilient and competitive Europe, through a model of co-operation, not confrontation,” he wrote.
“The divisions among EU member states have left the continent vulnerable to external pressure. This must be a turning point. A stronger, more united Europe is the only way to protect the interests of its citizens and businesses.
“Cooperatives Europe supports this vision. We are committed not only to defending the single market, but also to helping build an ecosystem where cooperatives can compete, thrive, and lead innovation, contributing to a fairer, more sustainable economy.”
The trade deal is not legally binding and requires the unanimous approval of the European Council and ratification by the European Parliament.
