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Under an agreement struck in August, the EU plans to remove
tariffs of 8%-12% on imports of lobsters, while the United
States will halve its duties on imports of certain glassware,
ceramics, disposable lighters and prepared meals.
The deal, worth some $200 million in annual trade, needs to be
approved by the European Parliament and by the European Council,
the grouping of EU governments.
Parliamentary backing had been in doubt given strained relations
between the bloc and the administration of U.S. President Donald
Trump, which has imposed punitive tariffs on EU steel and
aluminium.
The chair of parliament's international trade committee, Bernd
Lange, said last month that lawmakers should consider rejecting
the deal.
However, the committee has now backed the agreement by 40 votes
to two, parliament said on Wednesday, and it is likely to go
before the full European Parliament in late November.
"Thanks to our engagement, the Commission is now more assertive
on the U.S. aluminium tariffs. This, in addition with a new U.S.
administration, puts the lobster deal in a new light," Lange
said in a statement after the vote.
"Let's move forward and use this deal as a stepping stone for
more constructive transatlantic dialogue."
The deal will help level the playing field for U.S. producers,
notably in the state of Maine, whose European sales declined
after a trade deal between Canada and the EU eliminated tariffs
on Canadian lobsters.
The U.S. industry has also been hurt by Chinese tariffs imposed
in 2018 and the collapse of sales to restaurants during
coronavirus-related lockdowns.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Catherine Evans)
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