By Aldgra Fredly
The European Commission said on Feb. 22 it wants “full clarity” from the United States after a Supreme Court ruling invalidated U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It asked that Washington honor a trade deal reached last year.
The Trump administration has been looking at alternative legal avenues after the Supreme Court on Feb. 20 struck down the reciprocal tariff framework imposed by Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Following the ruling, Trump announced a 10 percent global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 before increasing it to 15 percent on Feb. 21 following a detailed review of the court’s decision.
The European Commission issued a statement on Feb. 22 urging the U.S. government to provide clarity on its next steps, saying the current situation is “not conducive to delivering fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” transatlantic trade and investment as agreed to by both sides last year.
Under a trade agreement reached last July, the United States agreed to cap tariffs on most EU imports to 15 percent, covering a range of sectors such as cars, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber.
In return, the EU agreed to eliminate tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and grant preferential market access to U.S. seafood and agricultural exports. It also agreed to increase purchases of military and defense equipment from the United States.
“A deal is a deal. As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the U.S. to honour its commitments set out in the Joint Statement—just as the EU stands by its commitments.
“In particular, EU products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed,” the European Commission said on Feb. 22.
According to a joint statement issued by the White House in August 2025, the trade deal reflects the EU’s determination to resolve U.S. concerns regarding trade imbalances and a shared commitment to leverage the “full potential” of their economies.
According to the EU, the joint statement outlined a U.S. tariff regime with “a clear maximum, all-inclusive, tariff rate of 15% for the vast majority of EU exports.”
The Commission said it has been in continuous contact with the Trump administration regarding the matter, adding that EU Trade Commissiner Maros Sefcovic had spoken with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Feb. 21.
“We will continue to work towards lowering tariffs, as provided for in the Joint Statement,” it said. “The EU’s priority is to preserve a stable, predictable transatlantic trading environment, while also acting as a global anchor for rules-based trade.”
Greer confirmed in a CBS News interview on Feb. 22 that he had discussed tariff issues with his EU counterpart and officials from other countries, and said that Washington expects its trading partners to stand by the deals.
“The deals were not premised on whether or not the emergency tariff litigation would rise or fall,” he said. “But rest assured, I’ve been speaking to these folks as well, and I’ve been telling them for a year, whether this case—whether we won or lost—we were going to have tariffs, the president’s policy was going to continue.
“That’s why they signed these deals even while the litigation was pending.”
Greer said on Feb. 20 that the Supreme Court ruling affected only Trump’s reciprocal and fentanyl-related tariffs, and extensive tariffs imposed under other statutory authorities will remain in place.
He said his office will launch new investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act, covering most major trading partners. The probe intends to counter “unjustifiable, unreasonable, discriminatory, and burdensome acts, policies, and practices.” Further tariffs may be applied if unfair practices are found, he said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also cited Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act as an option the Trump administration is considering for its tariff policies following the Supreme Court ruling.
Jacob Burg contributed to this report.
