EU asks Biden to abolish duties on steel and aluminum
The European Union and the United States must resolve their trade disputes after US President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January as part of a "new transatlantic agenda," European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borell said Wednesday. >
The United States retained at one time import duties on European steel and aluminum, canceling them for its other NATO allies. In response, the EU has imposed duties on American goods, including motorcycles and alcohol.
Washington has threatened to introduce new tariffs in connection with EU plans to tax digital services companies.
Both sides also have different views on the value of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its dispute settlement system, which Washington has blocked by refusing to appoint judges from its quota.
In its new proposal, the EU said that the first step for both countries would be to finally appoint a new WTO Director General and “explore how to re-establish an important dispute resolution function by reforming the Appellate Body.
Under Trump, the United States rejected proposals from the EU and others to resolve the crisis in the WTO Appellate Body, which is effectively the supreme court of world trade.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September that "the major powers are either leaving institutions or taking them hostage in their own interests," in thinly veiled criticism of the United States.