San Antonio Express-News

Lobster deal part of EU’S trade pact with U.S.

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BRUSSELS — Thanksgivi­ng just got a little bit better for the Maine lobster industry.

The European Union parliament on Thursday approved a mini trade deal with the United States, which includes the eliminatio­n of customs duties on U.S. lobster imports. The passage with 638 votes for, 45 against and 11 abstention­s was the last major political step for the deal to come into effect.

As a result, the 27-nation EU will drop its 8 percent tariff on U.S. lobsters for the next five years and work to make the move permanent.

U.S. lobster imports to the EU came to about $111 million in 2017 before falling off in the face of rising tensions between the trading partners, and an EU trade agreement with Canada that allowed its lobsters to enter the bloc tarifffree.

Because of it, said EU legislator Bernd Lange, “we have seen a drop in demand by 50 percent in Maine, which is obviously quite serious. So nowwe are making an offer to allow American lobster to come tariff-free into the EU.“

For its part, the U.S. agreed to cut in half tariffs on EU imports worth about $160 million a year, including some prepared meals, crystal glassware and cigarette lighters. The tariff cuts will be retroactiv­e to Aug. 1.

The deal approved on Thursday covers only a tiny portion of trans-atlantic trade with the U.S., but the Euhopes it will have some symbolic value. And for the lobster industry, already hit hard by the coronaviru­s crisis, every piece of good news is welcome.

For the EU, which has had acrimoniou­s relations with the Trump administra­tion, a sign of goodwill will never hurt.

“We have more in common than divides us,“said Lange. “This piece of legislatio­n is an offer: it’s not about lobster for all. It’s about cooperatio­n instead of confrontat­ion.”

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