New Trade Agreement Could Flood Europe With Giant American Trucks

A new “Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade” framework with the European Union could mean European markets will see a lot more large American-made trucks and SUVs, writes Lloyd Alter in an opinion piece in Streetsblog USA. 

According to Alter, “To placate the U.S. and avoid massive tariffs, the Europeans gave away the store on food restrictions, energy, military procurement, and, of most interest for this post, cars.” Significantly, “With respect to automobiles, the United States and the European Union intend to accept and provide mutual recognition to each other’s standards.”

This means that the agreement essentially rolls back Europe’s hard-won safety standards, replacing them with the much more watered-down U.S. standards when it comes to vehicle size and the safety of people outside the car. 

In a press release, the European Transport Safety Council condemned the move, writing, “This is not a technical detail – it is a political choice that puts trade convenience ahead of saving lives… Allowing American vehicles onto the EU market on the basis of ‘mutual recognition’ of standards is a betrayal of Europe’s safety leadership, and it will cost lives.”

Highlighting the consequences of the changes, the press release adds, “Europe’s mandatory requirements for life-saving technologies such as automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and pedestrian protection have made our cars safer and our roads less deadly. None of these protections are guaranteed under U.S. rules.”