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Following a year of political and trade tensions between Europe and the United States, commercial ties between the two sides – the deepest and broadest between any two regions in history – have held remarkably strong. In a new study from the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) and the US Chamber of Commerce, authors Daniel Hamilton and Joseph Quinlan value the transatlantic economy at a record $9.8 trillion in 2025, up from $9.5 trillion the previous year. This figure comprises an estimated record $2.3 trillion in goods and services trade between Europe and the United States and $7.5 trillion in combined affiliate sales.

Together with 14 industry associations from various sectors, AmCham EU has signed a joint statement calling for the withdrawal of horizontal label requirements under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. While supporting the objective of improving the sustainability of products placed on the EU market and providing transparent information to consumers, the group warn that introducing horizontal labelling requirements without specific metrics and methodologies risks creating regulatory complexity and consumer confusion. The signatoires urges EU policymakers to instead address the need for a label and potential related requirements through product-specific measures supported by robust methodologies.

On Wednesday, 11 March, the United States Trade Representative launched Section 301 investigations into structural production overcapacity against a range of economies, including the European Union.  We understand that this decision is part of a larger attempt to stabilise the US tariff system in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling striking down the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs. 

The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) is concerned about the continued uncertainty of the current trade environment. Companies still lack clarity over future tariff rates in both the short- and long-term. We continue to oppose broad-based tariffs as they raise costs for businesses and consumers and disrupt supply chains. 

With potential measures against the EU under consideration, AmCham EU calls on the EU and the US to avoid escalation in the trade dispute. The priority must be to restore stability and predictability in transatlantic trade. The deal struck in the summer is not a perfect solution, but it offers the most realistic path forward given political priorities on both sides. We look to the parties to honour their commitments under the EU-US Framework Agreement. 

The US Administration rightfully identifies overcapacity as a critical issue in the global economy which also affects the European market. We see the EU as part of the solution, rather than the problem. The EU and the US must work together to tackle the real issue at hand: unfair trading practices from non-market economies.