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Thursday, January 22, 2026  
02 Shaban 1447  

EU lawmakers stall US trade deal in protest over Greenland

Lawmakers freeze approval process, saying fresh US demands have ‘broken’ the Turnberry agreement
General view of a plenary room of the European Parliament ahead of European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas’ address on territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, in Strasbourg, France, on January 20, 2026. Reuters
General view of a plenary room of the European Parliament ahead of European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas’ address on territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, in Strasbourg, France, on January 20, 2026. Reuters

The European Parliament has decided to suspend its work on the European Union’s trade deal with the United States in protest at U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands to acquire Greenland and threats of tariffs on European allies who oppose his plan.

The EU assembly has been debating legislative proposals to remove many EU import duties on U.S. goods, a key part of the agreement struck in Turnberry, Scotland, at the end of July, as well as to continue zero duties for U.S. lobsters, initially agreed with Trump in 2020. The proposals require approval by the parliament and EU governments.

Many lawmakers have complained that the trade deal is lopsided, with the EU required to cut most import duties while the U.S. sticks to a broad rate of 15%. However, they had previously appeared willing to accept it, albeit with conditions, such as an 18-month sunset clause and measures to respond to possible surges of U.S. imports.

The trade committee of the European Parliament was due to set its position in votes on January 26-27. However, this has now been postponed.

The chair of the committee, Bernd Lange, told a news conference on Wednesday that the new tariff threats had broken the Turnberry deal, saying it would now be put on hold until further notice.

However, freezing the deal risks angering Trump, which could lead to higher U.S. tariffs. The Trump administration has also ruled out any concessions, such as cutting tariffs on spirits or steel, until the deal is in place.

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