According to two parliamentary officials familiar with the closed-door discussions, lawmakers agreed that proceeding with the vote would be "untenable” without clarity from Washington on its latest trade stance.

The parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) had been scheduled to vote Tuesday on legislation that would eliminate numerous EU import duties on U.S. goods. 

The tariff-cut package forms a central pillar of the agreement negotiated in Turnberry, Scotland, in late July, and also includes maintaining the duty-free access for U.S. lobsters first arranged under Trump in 2020.

Committee members, however, objected that the U.S. tariff shift fundamentally altered the balance of the proposed deal. "A 15% blanket duty applied across sectors creates an asymmetry we cannot ignore,” one EU official said, insisting the committee required updated impact assessments before advancing the file.

The postponement marks the second suspension of parliamentary work on the agreement. Lawmakers previously froze progress after Trump demanded the acquisition of Greenland, along with threats of punitive tariffs against European partners who opposed the idea.

Several members of the parliament argue the draft accord already favors Washington, citing EU commitments to drop most import duties while the U.S. maintains its unified 15% rate. Still, negotiators had signaled a conditional willingness to move forward, proposing safeguards such as an 18-month sunset clause and rapid-response mechanisms to address unexpected surges in U.S. imports.

EU governments must also approve the final package, meaning Monday’s delay could push the timeline for any transatlantic ratification well into next year unless the White House revises its tariff policy or offers new guarantees.