Pittsburgh, erstwhile location of the mighty US alloy industry, volition service arsenic the backdrop for the US-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting.
US and EU officials volition clasp 2 days of high-level meetings successful Pittsburgh this week successful an effort to repair relations damaged nether the medication of Donald Trump and boost practice connected exertion issues.
The timing of the inaugural gathering of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is important, coming amid a planetary semiconductor shortage.
The venue, the Pennsylvania metropolis that was the bosom of the once-mighty American alloy manufacture and which has evolved into a tech hub, is symbolic, particularly arsenic the 2 sides person yet to resoluteness a struggle implicit Trump-era tariffs connected alloy and aluminum.
The erstwhile president cited US nationalist information successful June 2018 erstwhile helium imposed punitive tariffs of 25 percent connected alloy imports and 10 percent connected aluminum, which person been a thorn successful trans-Atlantic relations since.
Washington and Brussels person made it wide that solution of that struggle would not beryllium portion of the discussions successful Pittsburgh, but it looms successful the background.
Chip crunch
The TTC was calved retired of President Joe Biden's acme successful Brussels successful June, erstwhile helium attempted to repair the partnership, and reached a woody to defuse the longstanding Airbus-Boeing dispute, suspending tariffs connected some sides.
But much caller stumbles person renewed doubt, including the abrupt US exit from Afghanistan astatine the extremity of August, and the much caller announcement of a information pact betwixt the United States, Australia and Britain viewed arsenic a snub by Europe.
There could beryllium a batch riding connected the Pittsburgh meeting, beyond the authoritative agenda.
The talks volition beryllium led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and connected the European broadside by EU enforcement vice presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis.
The White House said the United States and EU are "indispensable partners" that volition purpose to "promote shared economic growth."
The TTC has 10 moving groups connected divers and astatine times touchy topics specified arsenic regularisation of integer platforms, privacy concerns, supervision of artificial intelligence, controls connected foreign investment, strategical exports, and critically the shortage of semiconductors.
EU vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said this week's exertion gathering could nutrient a connection connected the planetary semiconductor shortage.
Demand for physics devices of each kinds has exploded since the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, owed to the emergence of moving and studying from home, arsenic good arsenic accrued request for location entertainment.
The spot shortage has besides deed automakers, arsenic semiconductor manufacturers, which astatine times person had to temporarily adjacent their factories owed to COVID-19, conflict to conscionable planetary demand.
Washington would similar to unafraid a woody with the Europeans connected semiconductors, and Dombrovskis told reporters successful Washington connected Tuesday determination could beryllium a communique connected this taxable astatine the extremity of the meeting.
Raimondo said the semiconductor shortage is some an economical and a national security concern, and called for investments successful home manufacturing successful the EU and United States.
"America created the semiconductor industry. Twenty years ago, we produced astir 40 percent of each chips," she said successful a code to the Economic Club of Washington.
"Today, we relationship for lone 12 percent of planetary accumulation and we nutrient zero percent of the astir precocious chips."
She called connected Congress to walk authorities that would put $52 cardinal successful home spot manufacturing, saying it volition "protect Americans from akin proviso concatenation disruptions successful the future."
Confronting Beijing?
Europeans besides privation to nutrient much successful bid to trim their dependence connected Asia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has adjacent called it a "question of sovereignty."
In summation to semiconductors, the sides are grappling with however to enactment unneurotic to antagonistic China and unfair commercialized practices specified arsenic concern subsidies and forced exertion transfer.
The Biden medication truthful acold has continued Trump's beardown enactment towards Beijing, keeping successful spot punitive duties connected Chinese goods.
While Dombrovskis stressed that the TTC was not intended to people a peculiar country, helium has besides urged practice with Washington to springiness the World Trade Organization much teeth to woody with the concerns posed by China.
© 2021 AFP
Citation: US, EU question to boost practice done tech (2021, September 29) retrieved 29 September 2021 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-eu-boost-cooperation-tech.html
This papers is taxable to copyright. Apart from immoderate just dealing for the intent of backstage survey oregon research, no portion whitethorn beryllium reproduced without the written permission. The contented is provided for accusation purposes only.
English (US) ·