(1)

On 24 July 2025 the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1564 (2) which provides for the application of additional customs duties on imports into the Union of specified products originating in the United States of America (‘the United States’) as well as for the application of restrictions on the exportation to the United States of certain products originating in the Union (‘the rebalancing measures’).

(2)

The rebalancing measures were aimed at counter-balancing the safeguard measures, in the form of additional customs duties, which the United States had introduced on imports of certain steel and aluminium products and steel and aluminium derivative products, certain passenger vehicles and light trucks, certain automobile parts, certain beer and empty aluminium cans, and a wide range of agriculture, fishery and other industrial products originating in the Union, referred to in recitals 1 to 7 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1564.

(3)

On 27 July 2025, the Union and the United States reached a political agreement as regards their trade relationship, which was subsequently confirmed by the EU-US Joint Statement of 21 August 2025 (3) (‘the Joint Statement’). The political agreement provided, among others, for immediate tariff relief for Union imports to the United States. As a result, the United States modified certain tariffs applicable to Union imports in line with the Joint Statement.

(4)

On 5 August 2025, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1727 (4), which suspended the rebalancing measures for six months as from 6 August 2025. On 4 February 2026, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/295 (5), which suspended the rebalancing measures for six additional months as from 7 February 2026.

(5)

On 25 June 2026, the Union adopted Regulations (EU) 2026/1455 (6) and (EU) 2026/1461 (7) of the European Parliament and of the Council, which implement the Union’s commitment under the Joint Statement to reduce custom duties on imports of certain goods originating in the United States.

(6)

In light of the developments referred to in recitals 3 to 5, and to ensure continued implementation of the Joint Statement, the application of the Union’s rebalancing measures should remain suspended. Accordingly, no written notice to the Council for Trade in Goods of the World Trade Organization as regards the application of those measures is currently necessary and the submission of that notice should be suspended.

(7)

The Commission should keep the suspension of the rebalancing measures under continuous review. The Commission may take further action if doing so becomes necessary to defend the Union’s interests.

(8)

This Regulation is without prejudice to the Union’s position that the safeguard measures of the United States remain incompatible with the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization.

(9)

To ensure that the suspension provided under this Regulation applies as from 7 August 2026, this Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(10)

The measure provided for in this Regulation is in accordance with the opinion of the Trade Barriers Committee,