US Warns EU Over Energy Trade Deal Ratification

The United States has warned the European Union that failing to ratify a key trade agreement could lead to less favorable terms for accessing American energy supplies, as the bloc's parliament prepares to vote on the deal this week in Brussels. U.S. Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder conveyed the message in recent discussions, emphasizing the agreement's role in securing stable energy flows amid global market strains.

Reached last summer during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Turnberry, Scotland, the pact sets a baseline 15 percent tariff on all EU goods entering the United States. In exchange, the EU agreed to eliminate tariffs on certain U.S. industrial and agricultural products and commit to purchasing 750 billion dollars worth of American energy, including liquefied natural gas, oil, and civilian nuclear technologies, by 2028. The European Parliament's vote, scheduled for Thursday, marks a pivotal step toward implementation, though final approval would still require negotiations among the parliament, member states in the Council, and the commission.

Puzder underscored the stakes for Europe's economy,...