The association emphasized that this move enhances the EU’s negotiating position with Washington, allowing for stronger demands for compliance from the US. The Chairman of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee, Bernd Lange, also expressed support, highlighting the importance of exit clauses that would permit a return to EU tariffs in the event of US non-compliance. However, criticism arose from the Left Party, which argued that the European Parliament had succumbed to a disadvantageous trade deal, noting the agreement’s provision to eliminate European tariffs on American industrial goods in exchange for a commitment from the US to limit tariffs on EU products to no more than 15 percent.