24 October 2025 – The chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, Bernd Lange (SPD/S&D), appears ready to take a confrontational stance toward the United States over the EU-U.S. trade deal. Base metals: positive sideways movement at the end of the week.
Base Metals: Positive Sideways Movement to End the Week
Base metals showed a sideways trend on the Asian commodities exchange SHFE at the end of the week but still managed notable gains compared to the previous week.
Nickel rose by 0.5%, tin by 1.1%, aluminum by 1.5%, and zinc by 2.3%. The clear weekly winners were lead, up 3.3%, and copper, with an impressive 3.9% price increase.
Is the EU Trade Committee Heading for a Showdown with the U.S.?
At a press conference on October 23, Bernd Lange, the chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA), expressed dissatisfaction with both the EU-U.S. trade deal and the recent U.S. trade protection measures.
In particular, the Social Democrat Lange from the S&D group argued that the EU is being treated unfairly, especially in the steel sector. In his view, the U.S. government is violating the spirit of the bilateral trade agreement by continuously imposing new tariffs.
It is undeniable that tariffs are harmful to free trade, especially for European companies that rely heavily on unimpeded international goods flows, whether those tariffs apply to exports to the United States (and other countries) or imports into the European Union.
These “new” tariffs have nothing to do with the EU-U.S. trade deal itself
However, Mr. Lange seems to overlook the fact that these “new” tariffs have nothing to do with the EU-U.S. trade deal itself. They were introduced under Section 232 investigations, which began before the Joint Statement on a United States-European Union Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair and Balanced Trade was announced on August 21, 2025.
A Simple Example for Mr. Lange
There is also a free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam that defines tariff levels for steel. Nevertheless, the European Commission has imposed anti-dumping duties on steel and stainless steel from Vietnam, a post-agreement adjustment made through EU market protection measures (TDI).
In other words: the European Commission’s negotiation team, led by Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič (S&D), should have been aware of this principle. If the Commission had done its homework, such issues would have been addressed and negotiated from the start.
Overview of Relevant US Section 232 Investigations
- Steel and Aluminum – In force since 2018
- Steel and Aluminum – Adjustments: Feb 10, 2025; Jun 3, 2025; Aug 18, 2025
- Copper – Initiated Mar 10, 2025
- Timber and Lumber – Initiated Mar 10, 2025
- Semiconductors and Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment – Initiated Apr 1, 2025
- Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients – Initiated Apr 1, 2025
- Trucks – Initiated Apr 22, 2025
- Processed Critical Minerals and Derivative Products – Initiated Apr 22, 2025
- Commercial Aircraft and Jet Engines – Initiated May 1, 2025
- Polysilicon and Its Derivatives – Initiated Jul 1, 2025
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Their Parts and Components – Initiated Jul 1, 2025
- Wind Turbines – Initiated August 13, 2025
Source: Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of Comerce (October 24, 2025)
Time for Self-Reflection in Brussels
It would be strongly advisable for the S&D group in the European Parliament, and for the chairman of the INTA Committee himself, to look inward and address their own homegrown problems and failures instead of constantly blaming others.
If the S&D now intends to continue escalating tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump and provoke the United States unnecessarily, the likely consequence is clear: This will almost certainly lead to the collapse of the EU-U.S. trade agreement. A scenario already exemplified by the recent breakdown of trade talks between the United States and Canada announced today.
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