The European Fresh Produce Association, Freshfel has expressed concerns about a proposed EU-US trade deal which it warns is unfair to European producers.
The organisation expressed ‘deep unease’ over the proposed deal and the way it has been developed after the European Commission released proposals for a readjustment of customs duties on the import of certain goods originating from the US, as a result of the USA-EU tariff agreement reached end of July 2025.
“Beyond trade impact or benefit, this agreement raises multiple questions and concerns on fundamental international trade principles,” the association said in a statement. ‘The president of the European Commission brought back from Scotland a one-sided and fully asymmetric agreement, with concessions that threaten the reciprocal concept.
“This appalling outreach was brought to EU business after a negotiation process that breached the basic principles of good governance, set aside commitment to transparency requiring meaningful prior stakeholder consultation, and failed to have been subject to a credible impact assessment. The deal also significantly weakens the WTO, eroding the principle of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause and other multilateral rules while also deteriorating the integrity of future bilateral trade agreements.”
It also lamented the fact that ‘fresh fruit and vegetables had once again been used as a bargaining chip for achieving other objectives, leaving European fresh produce businesses exposed to disproportionate tariffs and unfair balance in regard to non-tariff conditions.’
Freshfel added, “Under the proposed deal, imports of US fruit and vegetables into the EU are fully liberalised removing with immediate effect existing tariffs to a full duty exemption,” said Philippe Binard, general delegate of Freshfel Europe. On the contrary, EU exporters face a significant rise of tariffs to 15 per cent when accessing the USA market.”
It also drew attention to one-sided proposals for the EU to review non-tariff barriers and sustainability requirements without any reciprocal agreement for the United States to review long-standing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that have blocked or limited EU exports of products such as apples, pears, citrus, tomatoes, and many others.
“Last July, the president of the European Commission completely forgot its commitments to EU agriculture competitiveness, its engagement to tackle climate change and the need to wisely manage the EU’s own financial resources,” the industry body added. “This deal was claimed by its protagonists to offer predictability and stability, both essential for long-term business planning and investment.”
As a result, Freshfel is calling on policymakers on the EC Council and in European Parliament to reject the proposed ‘one-sided agreement’.
