WASHINGTON-
USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai met with European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday (February 17), in an attempt to allay concerns. on subsidies in the US Reduce Inflation Act. He also stressed the importance of US-EU cooperation in addressing China's economic coercion and non-trade practices.
Topics discussed by Tai Qi and Dobrowski included ongoing negotiations on steel and aluminum products and concerns raised in Europe over the implementation of the US Inflation Reduction Act, according to a USTR statement.
The EU is not happy about the "Reduce Inflation Act" of 2022 in the United States that requires certain products to be made in the United States in order to receive subsidies. Many EU leaders fear that the "local content requirement" in the US law's $369bn green subsidies will encourage companies to move to the US, making the US a new country. US into a leader in green technology at the expense of Europe. In response, the EU recently announced its own plan for clean technology subsidies.
However, the USTR statement said Ambassador Dai Qi "expressed optimism that the United States and the European Union can continue to work closely together to achieve the shared goal of strengthening the global clean energy sector."
In addition, Taiqi's conversations with the Dombrowskis also touched on China's trade practices.
"Ambassador Dai Qi also stressed the importance of US-EU cooperation in addressing economic coercion and other non-market policies and practices that harm the US and EU economies," the statement said. .
Politicians, senior officials and security experts from almost a hundred countries around the world are meeting in Munich, Germany, to discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. China's foreign affairs chief Wang Yi, who is in Munich for the meeting, met with German Chancellor Scholz and Foreign Minister Berberke on Friday.
The United States sent a large delegation to the meeting, including Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken and former House Speaker Pelosi.
State Secretary Blinken is believed to meet Wang Yi on Saturday. US Assistant Secretary of State Sherman and State Department Chief Deputy Spokesman Patel said there is nothing to announce when asked recently about this issue. The United States postponed Blinken's visit to China in early February because China's high-altitude reconnaissance balloon entered US airspace. On the other hand, Dai Qi issued a statement on Friday after Mexico
issue a resolution aimed at prohibiting the importation of goods produced by forced labor
"In light of this progress, the United States, Canada and Mexico will work more closely to eliminate forced labor in global supply chains and address transshipment, leveling the playing field for North American workers and protecting workers most vulnerable to global level," he said. he said she. explain.
Ambassador Dai Qi said the United States will continue to use trade policy to address forced labor in global supply chains. These efforts include implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, trilateral cooperation to combat forced labor in supply chains through the US-EU trade and labor dialogue, and the establishment of a initiative to promote human rights and international labor standards in supply chains under the US-Japan trade association US-Japan Task Force.
