Parliament’s largest political bloc has declared the transatlantic trade agreement cannot advance after President Donald Trump imposed levies on eight NATO partners, escalating tensions that threaten months of negotiations.

Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, declared Saturday that the transatlantic trade agreement can no longer proceed after Trump announced 10 percent levies targeting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. 

The levies begin Feb. 1 and escalate to 25 percent by June 1 unless Washington reaches an agreement to purchase Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, Trump stated.

Trade deal at risk

Weber’s statement threatens a framework negotiated between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump last July. That agreement called for Brussels to eliminate duties on American industrial products while accepting up to 15 percent US levies on European exports.

Parliament lawmakers were preparing to vote next month on measures implementing those tariff cuts, but Weber’s position signals mounting opposition to advancing the legislation while Trump targets member states. 

Bernd Lange, who chairs Parliament’s international trade committee, described the threatened levies as “unbelievable” and indicated he would push to halt work on implementing the agreement, according to reporting by Politico.

Brussels plans an emergency gathering of ambassadors from all 27 member states Sunday to address the tariff threat.

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