US Trade Rep. Tells Vestager She Wants Positive Trade Relations

US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai told the European Union’s antitrust chief, Margarethe Vestager, on Monday, March 29, that she has a “strong desire to develop a more positive and productive” trade relationship with the EU, USTR said.

In a statement, USTR said Tai and Vestager agreed to work together on key priorities such as climate change, the digital economy and strengthening US-EU cooperation to deal with large, non-market economies such as China.

The two officials agreed to work together on priorities such as climate change, the digital economy and strengthening US-EU cooperation to deal with large, non-market economies such as China, USTR said.

Tai last week said she was proceeding with preparations for potential tariffs against goods from Spain, Austria, Britain, Italy, India, and Turkey over digital services taxes imposed by those countries. USTR also is maintaining a tariff threat in retaliation for France’s digital tax.

In a separate call, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen spoke with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire about the importance of resolving the digital tax dispute through OECD negotiations.

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