US-Europe trade tensions are expected to ease as the EU advances final approval of the trade agreement with the US.

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The European Union has restarted the approval process for its trade agreement with the US, meaning the long-stalled deal is now facing final review.

The European Parliament's trade committee will vote on the agreement on Thursday, followed by a full parliament vote later this month or in April. The chairman of the trade committee and lead negotiator, Bernd Lange, revealed this arrangement to the media. "My compromise plan has gained broad majority support, which truly reflects Europe's position."

The decision was made by the lawmakers overseeing the process on Tuesday, even though the US recently launched a new round of investigations into EU trade practices that could trigger more tariffs. However, lawmakers decided to move forward after adding an amendment—which stipulates that the agreement will only take effect once the US fulfills the relevant clauses.

If the parliament approves the agreement, the final text will be submitted for a vote by member states. This move signals that a growing source of friction in transatlantic relations could be eased.

The EU had postponed the agreement's approval several times in recent months, citing reasons including former US President Trump's threats to seize Greenland, as well as the uncertainty following the US Supreme Court's repeal of the global tariff order. The US expressed dissatisfaction with these delays, and the risk of a renewed breakdown in bilateral trade relations rose again.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently launched an investigation into the EU, with the aim of adopting new measures to replace the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" suspended by the Supreme Court. Such investigations usually take several months to conclude and could ultimately lead to new tariffs on EU goods. The EU has not yet received any guarantee that the outcome of the investigation will be consistent with the previous trade agreement.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, has warned that if the US violates the agreement, the EU will respond firmly and proportionately.

The EU and the US reached a preliminary trade agreement in July last year. Under the agreement, the EU agreed to abolish tariffs on US industrial products, in exchange for the US capping tariffs on EU goods at 15%. The EU has characterized this asymmetric agreement as a pragmatic move to avoid a full-scale trade war with its largest trading partner, and to secure US security commitments for Europe—especially Ukraine.

However, some European lawmakers have criticized the agreement. With the US expanding 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum products to cover hundreds of additional items, opposition has grown louder.

Nevertheless, several EU member states and center-right lawmakers continue to push for the European Parliament to approve the agreement, believing it will help sustain stable transatlantic relations and meet the business community's urgent need for policy certainty.

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