A fresh survey of American companies active in Europe indicates a majority now believe transatlantic trade and investment relations will remain stable over the next 12 months. The poll, published by the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) on July 27, found 51% of respondents expect stability.
In the same survey, 21% of participants said they expected relations to improve in the coming year, while 28% predicted a deterioration. The results come roughly one year after the European Union and the United States reached a trade deal.
AmCham EU, which counts more than 160 members including Apple, Goldman Sachs and ExxonMobil, said the July 6-20 poll points to a notably more sanguine outlook than in parts of 2025. In late September of last year, 46% of respondents anticipated worsening ties, and an earlier similar poll taken when the U.S. President returned to office in January 2025 registered 89% pessimism.
AmCham EU's chief executive, Malte Lohan, said the latest survey suggested the U.S.-EU agreement had largely met its purposes. He noted businesses now perceive a more stable transatlantic relationship that, so far, has avoided the escalations many had feared.
Separately, recent trade measures drew attention in Brussels. The European Commission issued a guarded welcome to a new set of U.S. tariffs after a 10% global tariff expired, stating that the outcome was consistent with the terms of the trade deal.
The survey results highlight a shift in sentiment among U.S. firms with operations in Europe - from deep pessimism in early 2025 to a majority expecting stability a year after the trade accord. Nonetheless, a significant minority of businesses still foresee deteriorating relations, and trade policy developments such as the recent U.S. tariffs remain a live factor.
Survey details
The poll was conducted from July 6 to July 20 and reflects responses from AmCham EU members, an organisation that represents more than 160 American companies with European operations. The membership includes major companies across technology, finance and energy sectors.
What the numbers show
- 51% expect stable transatlantic ties over the next 12 months.
- 21% expect an improvement.
- 28% expect worsening relations.
- 46% expected worsening ties in late September last year.
- 89% were pessimistic in a similar survey in January 2025.