US Import Tariffs from European Union

No. There is no US-EU Free Trade Agreement in force as of 2026. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations ended in 2019 without conclusion and have not been formally restarted. All European Union member state goods — including Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and all other EU27 members — enter the US at standard MFN (Most Favored Nation) rates. The average MFN rate for EU goods is approximately 2.3% — relatively low, reflecting the generally low MFN tariff rates for manufactured goods that both the US and EU negotiated through WTO rounds. High-tariff exceptions include: apparel/textiles (17%–32%), footwear (8.5%–37.5%), and some agricultural products.

EU steel and aluminum imports are subject to modified Section 232 treatment under the US-EU Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum (effective January 1, 2022). Under this arrangement: EU steel and aluminum exports to the US up to historical average volumes enter duty-free (exempted from the 25% steel / 10% aluminum Section 232 tariffs). Volumes above the tariff rate quota (TRQ) are subject to the full 25%/10% Section 232 rates. The TRQ is administered on a quarterly, product-by-product basis. Steel importers should check whether the specific HTS code's quarterly quota is exhausted before importing — exhausted quotas trigger 25% additional duty on those shipments.

EU pharmaceutical imports — primarily from Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland (non-EU but frequently grouped), and Italy — enter the US at 0%–6.5% MFN duty under HTS Chapter 30. Most finished pharmaceutical dosage forms (HTS 3004) are duty-free or near-zero. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) under Chapter 29 face 0%–6.5% MFN depending on chemical classification. Beyond tariffs, FDA registration requirements are the primary compliance burden: all foreign drug facilities must register with FDA under 21 USC 510, meet cGMP standards (21 CFR Parts 210–211), and may be placed on import alert following facility inspection findings. EU pharma is the largest source of US pharmaceutical imports by value.

EU CE marking (Conformité Européenne) indicates EU regulatory compliance but does NOT satisfy US regulatory requirements. EU-certified products often require additional US certifications before import: (1) Electronics — FCC equipment authorization required for RF-emitting devices; CE marking doesn't substitute, (2) Electrical products — UL, ETL, or CSA NRTL listing required for 120V US power compliance; EU 230V equipment may also need voltage conversion certification, (3) Medical devices — FDA 510(k) clearance or PMA required; EU CE marking under MDR is not recognized by FDA, (4) Food contact materials — EU REACH-compliant materials may use substances not approved under FDA 21 CFR. Importers of EU goods should conduct US regulatory mapping for each product category before their first shipment.

The US imports approximately $605 billion in goods from the EU annually (combined EU27 member states), while exporting about $370 billion — creating a trade surplus for the EU of roughly $235 billion that has been a point of US trade policy focus. Top US import categories from EU: pharmaceuticals (~$130B annually, primarily Ireland, Germany, Belgium), motor vehicles and parts (~$70B, primarily Germany), machinery and mechanical appliances (~$65B, primarily Germany, Italy), aerospace parts and aircraft (~$20B, primarily France, Germany), chemicals (~$40B). Germany alone accounts for approximately $165B in annual US imports, making it the 4th-largest individual source country. Trade policy tensions over the lack of a US-EU FTA have driven periodic tariff threats but no comprehensive agreement as of 2026.