US, EU hold joint council on trade, tech to counter China's rising influence

Top trade officials, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met an EU delegation on Tuesday to hold a Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meetings. The leaders discussed a broad range of bilateral, and multilateral issues ranging from WTO reforms, the upcoming MC12 agenda, as well as the “challenges posed by non-market countries and economies including China, that undermine American and European workers and businesses.” The bloc and the United States aim to advance shared democratic values, expand and deepen the transatlantic trade and investment ties, and update the rules of the road for the 21st-century economy, the US Department of State said in a release on Sept. 28.

Secretary Blinken will also join the US and EU co-chairs to make an official visit to an autonomous driving technology company headquartered in Pittsburgh 'Argo AI', as well as the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research to highlight the critical role of US innovation in addressing global challenges. Meanwhile, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai held bilateral discussions with her EU counterpart European Commission Executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to build an important bilateral partnership and work constructively to strengthen the transatlantic trade and economic relationship. 

“Ambassador Tai expressed her optimism that the United States and European Union would continue to fortify this relationship during the inaugural Trade and Technology Council meetings tomorrow in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” Office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement on Tuesday, Sept. 28. 

Pledge to continue working in 'mutual cooperation'

Ministerial delegation of the US and EU pledged to continue working in mutual cooperation to ensure that the global COVID-19 pandemic recovery was conducted in an “inclusive and equitable way that brings along all communities and workers on both sides of the Atlantic,” the office of the USTR stated.

Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meetings were also convened by European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager and Ambassador of the European Union to the United States Stavros Lambrinidis. Ambassador Tai is also expected to participate today, on Sept 29 in a stakeholder roundtable with Secretaries Raimondo and Blinken, Executive Vice Presidents Vestager and Dombrovskis, Ambassador Lambrinidis, local elected officials, and Pittsburgh business and education leaders. The US trade representative would then visit Carnegie Mellon University for an “Innovations That Transform” lab tour and participate in a roundtable discussion with students and faculty.