WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today met virtually with European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss opportunities to strengthen economic ties between the United States and the European Union and resolve the long-running dispute over large civil aircraft subsidies. Ambassador Tai expressed her commitment to finding a permanent solution, before the tariff suspension expires in July, that that levels the playing field and creates a platform for future cooperation to address the shared challenges from non-market economies, such as China.
Ambassador Tai and EVP Dombrovskis also discussed the need to increase vaccine production, and the proposed waiver to certain provisions of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) for the COVID-19 pandemic. Ambassador Tai highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s support for the waiver of intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines and her commitment to text-based negotiations at the WTO. Ambassador Tai also explained how this effort supports the Administration’s comprehensive effort to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution around the world. The Ambassador welcomed EVP Dombrovski’s views on ways to work constructively at the WTO to help end the pandemic and they agreed to stay in regular contact.
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