EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — The United States and the European Union agreed on Sunday to a trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most goods, staving off — at least for now — far higher import duties on both sides that might have sent shock waves through economies around the globe.

The EU's top negotiator on Monday defended a trade agreement with the United States to avert steeper tariffs as "the best deal we could get under very difficult circumstances"."I'm 100 percent sure that this deal is better than a trade war with the United States,

The United States and the European Union agreed on a framework trade deal to end months of uncertainty for industries and consumers.