Portugal welcomes agreement that brings stability but wants to eliminate trade barriers with the USA

Lisbon – Portugal considered today that the trade agreement reached on Sunday between the United States and the European Union “brings stability,” but advocates for the elimination of trade barriers with the U.S., while promising support to national companies.
“The EU-U.S. trade agreement brings predictability and stability, by avoiding an escalating trade war,” states, in a statement sent to Lusa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE).
The Portuguese government “welcomes and thanks” the European Commission “for its commitment to achieve this platform for stabilizing trade relations.”
While awaiting a “detailed understanding of the terms and impact” of the agreement, the executive highlights that “some critical points” have been safeguarded.
“In any case,” emphasizes the ministry led by Paulo Rangel, “nothing replaces the freedom of trade.”
“Therefore, it is essential that the EU and Portugal do not give up fighting for the progressive reduction and elimination of customs duties and equivalent barriers to trade with the U.S., as well as with other trading partners,” stresses the MNE’s note.
The executive headed by Luís Montenegro (PSD/CDS-PP) promises to support Portuguese companies.
“Within this new framework, Portuguese companies can count on the full cooperation of the Portuguese government to mitigate negative effects and facilitate access to new markets,” it adds.
The government also reaffirms the importance of the 27 fostering “new free trade agreements” and “accelerating the entry into force of those already negotiated, namely with Mercosur.”
For his part, the European Commissioner for Trade, Maros Sefcovic, emphasized today, at a press conference, that he is 100% certain that the agreement is better than a trade war between the two blocs.
The trade agreement announced on Sunday in Turnberry, Scotland, by U.S. President Donald Trump and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sets U.S. tariffs on European products at 15%.
The agreement also includes the European Union’s (EU) commitment to purchase U.S. energy worth $750 billion (about €643 billion) – aiming specifically to replace Russian gas – and an additional investment of $600 billion (€514 billion), as well as increasing military material acquisitions.
The two main trading powers exchange about €4.4 billion in goods and services daily, and Washington threatened to impose, starting August 1, tariffs of 30% on all European imports. (07/28/2025)