Could U.S. spying ruin a $127 billion trade deal with the EU?

France is threatening to derail a massive pact over the NSA's alleged snooping

EU trade talks
(Image credit: Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images)

Recent allegations that the NSA spied on European Union offices in the United States and Belgium could threaten a massive trans-Atlantic trade deal worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

France is leading the opposition, arguing that negotiations between Washington and the EU should be stalled for 15 days in light of the information leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The money at stake: $127 billion in additional output for the United States and $159 billion for the EU, according to an EU-commissioned study of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.