Last night, the U.S. and the EU released a joint statement announcing an agreement on a “Framework for a Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade Agreement.” The U.S. plans to immediately ensure that tariffs on goods of EU origin, including semiconductors, do not exceed 15%. In return, the EU plans to purchase at least $40 billion (approximately 287.3 billion RMB) worth of U.S. AI chips for its data centers.
According to the statement, the U.S. and the EU have pledged to cooperate to ensure a secure, reliable, and diversified energy supply, which includes addressing non-tariff barriers that may restrict bilateral energy trade. As part of this effort, the EU plans to purchase U.S. liquefied natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy products, with the procurement value expected to reach $750 billion (approximately 5.39 trillion RMB) by 2028.
The EU further plans to collaborate with the U.S. to adopt and maintain consistent technical security requirements, working together to prevent technology from leaking to destinations of concern. Once these requirements are in place, the U.S. will work to facilitate such exports.
According to foreign media reports, Maroš Šefčovič, the EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, stated that ensuring the EU’s access to advanced AI computing chips was one of the first issues he raised during negotiations with U.S. trade officials on the updated framework agreement.
At a press conference on Thursday, he said, “The fact we are discussing with our American counterparts is that they also want to be sure that these AI chips, once they are in Europe, stay in Europe for the benefit of the European economy and are not transshipped elsewhere.”
The U.S. and the EU share one of the world’s largest economic relationships, with a total mutual investment exceeding $5 trillion (approximately 35.92 trillion RMB). Both sides intend to promote and facilitate reciprocal investment across the Atlantic. In this context, European companies are expected to make an additional $600 billion (approximately 4.31 trillion RMB) in investments in strategic sectors in the U.S. by 2028.
The U.S. and the EU hope to use this framework agreement as a first step in a process that can be gradually expanded to cover more areas.