EU-US President-elect Joe Biden must “find a method” to suspend a trade dispute that “poisons everyone,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in an interview published today.
“The problem that is poisoning everyone is that of price escalation and taxes on steel, digital technology, Airbus and more, especially our wine sector,” Le Drian told the weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.
“If we could quickly find a way to resolve this dispute with Europe and France, it would be a step forward,” added Le Drian. “This may take some time, but in the meantime we can always order moratoria.”
Le Drian’s comments echo those of other EU officials, who are trying to turn the page about four years of transatlantic tension with US President Donald Trump and his “America First” strategy.
The Trump administration announced on Monday that it would begin collecting new rights to aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany, such as wine, as part of the long-running battle for subsidies from aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing.
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