US-EU tariff deal: Packaging industry faces supply chain shocks and energy transition challenges

The US Government and the EU have announced an import tariff deal, imposing a 15% tariff on most goods entering the US from Europe, with the exception of steel which is still taxed at 50%. But while the agreement may have diffused a trade war, it risks sidelining shared priorities such as climate targets, circularity, and harmonized safety standards.

Packaging Insights delves into the tariffs’ potential consequences for the packaging economy and trade relations on both sides of the Atlantic. 

“This decision [to impose 15% import tariffs on EU goods] introduces a serious barrier for many EU packaging material providers, especially SMEs,” Iva Werbynska, European ambassador of the World Packaging Organization and managing director at the Czech and Slovak Packaging Institute SYBA, tells us. 

“The EU is a global leader in high-quality and sustainable packaging materials — from fiber-based solutions to advanced barrier technologies. A 15% tariff makes these products less competitive in the US market and may discourage transatlantic collaboration at a time when joint innovation is needed most.

US-EU tariff deal: Packaging industry faces supply chain shocks and energy transition challenges