SPIRITSEUROPE WELCOMES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTE ON EU-US DEAL, CALLS FOR SWIFT IMPLEMENTATION
Brussels, 26 March 2026 – spiritsEUROPE welcomes today’s positive vote in the European Parliament plenary on the proposals implementing the EU’s commitments under the EU-US Turnberry agreement. This important step provides much-needed predictability and stability for EU businesses engaged in transatlantic trade and sends a strong signal of the European Parliament’s commitment to supporting European exporters at a critical time.
“Today’s vote is a clear demonstration that the European Parliament is listening to the concerns of businesses and taking responsible action to restore stability in transatlantic trade,” said Mark Titterington, Director General of spiritsEUROPE. “We commend Members of the European Parliament for doing the right thing at a crucial moment for our sector and the wider EU economy.”
spiritsEUROPE now encourages the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission to move swiftly to conclude interinstitutional discussions, allowing the agreement to be implemented without delay and avoiding renewed uncertainty for companies.
Looking ahead, spiritsEUROPE underlines that a full and durable return to the reciprocal zero-for-zero arrangement for spirits should remain a priority for both the EU and the United States.
“The transatlantic zero-for-zero framework has proven its value over decades, supporting jobs, investment, and a 450% growth on both sides of the Atlantic,” Titterington added. “Once implementation is secured, efforts should focus on restoring this successful model as a matter of priority.”
spiritsEUROPE remains committed to working with EU institutions, US counterparts, and industry partners to ensure a stable and predictable trading environment for the spirits sector and the wider transatlantic economy.
ENDS
Note to editors
Background Information:
The reciprocal zero-for-zero agreement in spirits led to a growth of 450% in transatlantic trade in spirits between 1997 and 2018. More information on the benefits of this framework can be found here.
On 27 July 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald J. Trump announced a bilateral agreement on tariffs and trade. As part of its implementation, President Trump signed an Executive Order on 31 July 2025 (accessible here), establishing a 15% tariff ceiling on imports of EU products into the US.
On 21 August 2025, both sides issued a Joint Statement to provide further details on what was agreed through negotiations (the Joint Statement can be accessed here). It contains a list of product-specific exemptions from tariffs. Unfortunately, spirits are not part of this list, meaning that EU spirits remain subject to a 15% import tariff in the US. However, the Joint Statement specified that: “The United States and the European Union agree to consider other sectors and products that are important for their economies and value chains for inclusion in the list of products for which only the MFN tariffs would apply”. It is essential that talks restart with a view to expanding the list of products benefitting from a tariff exemption.
On 26 March 2026, MEPs adopted their position on two proposals implementing the tariff aspects of the EU-US Turnberry trade deal. The European Parliament press release following the vote can be found here.
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